Connecticut National Guard honors three unclaimed veterans

The Connecticut National Guard’s funeral honors team worked alongside the state’s Department of Veteran Affairs and the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association to celebrate the lives and inter the cremains of three Connecticut veterans at the state veteran’s cemetery on Oct. 16.

The three veterans honored were U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Mario Nello DeVito (July 21, 1927 – July 18, 2000), U.S. Army Pvt. James Dickinson, and U.S. Army SP5(T) Richard Robert Thurston.

“They are unclaimed but are not forgotten,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “To be honest, I don’t know much about their service. But that doesn’t matter. The fact is they raised their right hand as many of you did and I did. They swore their allegiance to the United States. Not to a president, not to a ruler, not to a governor, not to a senator or any government but the Constitution of the United States. They were willing to lay down their lives, and that’s all I need to know.”

This was the tenth such ceremony these organizations have hosted since 2009 when the state passed a law requiring funeral homes to identify if any of their unclaimed cremated remains are those of U.S. service members so they can receive the military funeral honors they’re entitled to.

“President Harry Truman once said and I quote ‘Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in service to our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude and America will never forget their sacrifices.’ Today, we will demonstrate that undying gratitude by providing honors to three veterans,” said Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner retired Brig, Gen. Ron Welch.

In addition to the various organizations involved in the interment, several veterans and legislative leaders were in attendance to offer their respects to the departed.

“Take a look around you if you want to know the significance of never leaving someone behind,” said U.S. Rep. John Larson. “In a nation of more than 340 million people, less than 1% put on a uniform. It’s the veteran that makes a ceremony like this so special and so important.

He added, “We don’t know a lot about these brave individuals, but we know they put on the uniform and served to protect and defend our constitution and basic freedoms. Leave it to veterans to make sure that their duty and sacrifice to their country will never be forgotten.”

Visit here to learn more about the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs and its mission to provide military funeral services.