Unclaimed U.S. Army veteran laid to rest at Fayetteville National Cemetery

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The community came together on September 11 to honor an unclaimed United States Army hero and ensure he wasn’t forgotten.

Anthony Broude was laid to rest at the Fayetteville National Cemetery. Broude served in Vietnam for three years, becoming highly decorated with awards like the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, Marksman (Missile), Sharpshooter (M-1 Carbine) and Marksman (Rifle M-14).

An outpour of support was seen for the veteran, with the roadways at the cemetery being lined by motorcycles, American Flags, veterans, and civilians. However, one key thing was missing, Broude’s family.

After his passing on August 5, 2024, Broude was deemed “unclaimed” by the Washington County Coroner’s Office, who was unable to make contact with his children.

Instead, only his close friends Loren Heard and Samuel Baker were at the ceremony to uphold his memory and receive the folded flag.

“During his time in the military in Vietnam, he did his best to prepare all his men, and he gave it to them straight. He was tough on them, but he was tough. And he told them why, so they’d all come back as many as possible,” Heard said.

Heard said many qualities made Broude an honorable man, but a few stuck out that she’d miss most.

“I’m going to miss his humor and I’m going to miss arguing with him. We used to argue a lot and make up. We had different opinions, but we had our own opinions and respected that, and I’m going to miss his stories,” said Heard.

Jannie Layne is the founder and president of Bo’s Blessings, a local organization that provides programs, support, and resources to veterans transitioning back to civilian life. Layne says her organization often fills in to answer the call and fill the gap.

“We step in and become his family, make sure he gets a burial with honors at the national cemetery,” said Layne.

She says the organization has been stepping in as a family for five years, making sure that all veterans receive a proper burial in Fayetteville. However, Layne’s work started nearly 14 years ago after she experienced a tragedy of her own.

“My son is buried here. And when he was buried here, there were hundreds of people here, family and friends,” said Layne.

She says the thought of a veteran being forgotten is hard to hear.

“The thought of someone being buried and no one to stand next, to pray over them, to pray for them, to remember them, to speak their name is something that my organization and myself — we just don’t want ever to happen. You know, if you say somebody’s name, they’re never forgotten,” said Layne.

On a day like September 11, Layne says the sacrifice of a veteran rings even louder.

“9/11 changed the world we live in, and it changed my world because my son was serving. So today we took time out of the terror, and we recognized a man who served in the terror of Vietnam. He served his country proudly, and we took time out of the grief and the terror and the pain, and we paid honor and respect to a man who deserved it,” said Layne.

To learn more about Bo’s Blessings and the work that it does, you can visit its Facebook .

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