JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Kim Lewis Heatherly, 62, who was an Army veteran was buried in Jacksonville, NC Wednesday afternoon. His graveside funeral service only had two people originally scheduled to attend, his wife and son.
This is probably not a big deal to many, accept, the town itself, Jacksonville, NC is known as a military town. That's because of Camp LeJeune and it's close proximity to Fort Bragg, Cherry Point and Seymour Johnson AFB.
So how do you get a better turnout for a veteran in a military town?
His widow, Gail Heatherly, told a veterans group that she didn't think many people would come because he didn't have any family in the area.
She and her son would be the only two at the funeral, she feared.
Forty-five minutes prior to the funeral scheduled for 2pm, the newspaper posted it on their Facebook page asking people to come out and show support to the widow and her son.
About 50 people, including some veterans showed up, the Daily News tells WFMY News 2.
“The military, no matter what branch we’re in, we are a supporting family,” Steven Guy, a retired gunnery sergeant, told the Daily News reporter, Maxim Tamarov, after the service.
Guy said he was glad they turned out on such short notice. Emails and notices were sent to area veteran organizations, and many who attended the funeral said they read the request for veterans to support Kim Lewis Heatherly on The Daily News’ Facebook post
The power of social media and word of mouth worked. Heatherly didn't get buried with just his widow and son watching. About 50 people turned out, to show respects at the ceremony in Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery.
PHOTOS: NC Veterans Rally For Widow at Graveside Service
Let's all take a moment to thank Heatherly for his service and the veterans and people who came out to support the family. No family should bury a veteran without community and other veterans support, especially in a military town.
