Funeral held for unclaimed veteran at Fargo National Cemetery

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Despite the cold temps, a large group gathered outside Fargo National Cemetery for an unclaimed soldier burial. U.S. Army veteran Vernon John Gutenkunst was laid to rest.

“It’s really nice to see the community support that we have for our unclaimed veterans and our veterans as a whole. We are very fortunate in the area to have so much support here at the Fargo National Cemetery from the community.” said Jason Hicks, the commander of the Fargo Memorial Honor Guard.

The Honor Guard honored the man who served his country. Jason Hicks, who is the commander of the honor guard, says it means a lot to have people come out and honor veterans, especially if they are unclaimed.

Officials at the burial say they were able to find some family members for Gutenkunst, but they were in no condition to travel.