Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

1,200 people attend funeral for military veteran with no family

Billy Alridge died in October with no known next-of-kin

Andrew Buncombe
New York
Wednesday 18 November 2015 16:45 GMT
Comments
William Alridge died last month
William Alridge died last month

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

When Billy Aldridge entered the Rosewalk nursing home in Indianapolis last December, the only listed next-of-kin was that of a friend whose number no longer worked.

So when he passed away last month, staff at the nursing home and at the cremation company contracted to bury him, feared he was going to endure a lonely goodbye.

Billy Aldridge died in October with no known next of kin
Billy Aldridge died in October with no known next of kin

Then they started playing detective, discovering a landlord who told them Mr Aldridge was a former US Marine, and reaching out through social media and the local paper to invite people to his service.

“We would like to encourage the public, especially any veterans, to attend this service and pay their respects to Mr Aldridge,” Eddie Beagles, of Legacy Cremation & Funeral Services, wrote on Facebook.

And oo on Tuesday, anywhere up to 1,200 people poured into the Lawrence United Methodist Church in Indianapolis to pay respects to the military veteran. The vast majority had not known him in life, but wanted to ensure he received a respectful funeral. Some people drove several hours to be there.

Among them were representatives of each of the military services.

“It felt good to be able to do this,” Carrie Gee, an employee of the funeral home, told The Independent.

Jennifer Hagan, a member of staff at the Rosewalk nursing home, said Mr Alridge had been “a good guy”.

“He was very simple and appreciative of everything you did for him,” she said. “Yesterday, the response from people was just overwhelming.’

She said she struggled to describe the sense of and camaraderie displayed by the other servicemen, many of them retired, who attended the service.

She added: “You could feel the brotherhood.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in