When Major Jaspen Boothe received a call that a homeless WWII Veteran would be buried without any living family, she decided that couldn’t happen.
Boothe quickly took to social media, posting in Veterans groups, hoping to honor the late Serina Vine with a show of solidarity.
When Booth, also a veteran, and a former homeless person, arrived at the graveside service on June 7, she found cars backed up half a mile. More than 200 Veterans and their families were waiting to pay their respects to Serina Vine.
At first, Booth thought there was another funeral at the same time, she soon realized though that they were all there for Serina Vine.
“It was like a pinnacle moment to show how veterans come together for veterans,” Boothe said. “We are connected through our service and through our sacrifice. Look around now, she has 200 or so family members. As long as you’re a veteran you have friends and family everywhere and you’re never alone.”
Active military members from all branches showed up for the service and so did many veterans. Thirty volunteers even arrived early to wave small American flags as Vine was carried from the hearse to her final resting place.
A marine color guard also honored her with a 21 gun salute as she was lowered into the earth a bugler played Taps.
Image of Serina Vine. Via Community Living Center
According to the Washington Post, Vine served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946 performing radio intelligence operations. “She lived in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Community Living Center in Washington since 1995, when she was found homeless on the streets and suffering from dementia. Little else is known about her life,” reported Colby Ikotwitz.
