By Jim Hamilton, Chaplain, Florence American Legion Post #134
I would like to commend Corvallis American Legion Post #91 for undertaking the mission of ensuring that a deceased former soldier from Noxon receive a funeral service with full military honors (Missoulian, 11/29/17). The veteran, Jerry Sauve, died almost two years ago in a VA hospital in Spokane. Without relatives available to assist with Mr. Sauve’s burial, it would have been appropriate for the VA to just turn the whole matter over to the Missing in America project, which assists in the proper internment of veterans. But concerned citizens in the Bitterroot stepped up and made sure the vet was properly interned even though he was from Sanders County.
And thanks to the Missoulian for putting the story on the front page of the paper, to Tom Grymes of the Hamilton Daly-Leach Memorial Chapel, Curt Aasved of the Western Montana Veterans Cemetery and to the Montana National Guard for providing extensive assistance in this endeavor. It’s great that the military burial was completed over the holidays and citizens of the Western Montana were able to learn about some of the activities the American Legion participates in besides Legion baseball and highway cleanups. It’s what we do throughout the year.