A World War II veteran was laid to rest Thursday afternoon in Lawrence, Massachusetts, surrounded by hundreds of strangers.
They turned out to honor James McCue, who died last week at the age of 97.
McCue had at least one good friend, but no surviving family members. So, city and state leaders put out a call to the community asking for volunteers to attend his final services.
And they weren’t disappointed.
Hundreds gathered at Bellevue Cemetery to say a final farewell to McCue.
"My heart hurt because he passed alone and I couldn't imagine not having anyone say ‘I love you’ or anything like that," Linda Richardson, who attended the service, told Boston 25 News.
Valentine's Day marked a perfect time for the community to gather together for McCue to show how appreciative they were for his service to the country.
McCue was 21 years old when he enlisted in the Army in 1943. The highly decorated World War II veteran served in five major battles, including the D-Day Invasion.
"The sacrifices that that generation made ... and the cause that they fought for ... they all deserve our respect,"veteran Jason Downey said.
Sixteen million Americans served in WWII, but the few of the “Greatest Generation” remain. The National World War II Museum estimates about 350 veterans from that war die every day. As of last year, less than half a million are left.
The survivors are approaching 100 years old and could very well die without family members, too.
"They come out of nursing homes and right to the graveyard. It's happening all the time," veteran Jim Fitzpatrick said.
James McCue requested no prayers at his funeral service so the crowd observed a moment of silence in his honor.
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