Thousands attend military funeral of Air Force veteran

KILLEEN, Texas — An Air Force veteran received a military funeral Monday in Texas, and thousands of strangers attended when it looked as if no family members would attend, KVUE reported.

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Joseph Walker, who served from September 1964 to September 1968 and served in the Vietnam War, including service in the Vietnam War. originally was supposed to be buried in early December but it was pushed back, the television station reported.

Officials at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen put out a call for people to attend the service.

"We have the distinct honor to provide a full military burial for unaccompanied United States Air Force Veteran Joseph Walker," the cemetery said in Facebook post. "We do not leave veterans behind."

A member of Wind Therapy Freedom Riders also encouraged the public to attend, KVUE reported.

"Let's show our respects to an American veteran," Luis Rodriguez told the television station reported.

All had the same sentiment: No veteran should be buried alone.

The calls were answered by thousands of people -- including Walker's daughter, who arrived too late for the service but was given the U.S. flag from her father's casket by cemetery officials, KVUE reported.

“We are overwhelmed at all this love and support,” Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery officials said in a post on its Facebook page Monday.

Cox Media Group