A group of high school seniors received praise for their selfless deed after stepping in to make sure a U.S. Air Force veteran who didn’t have any family received a dignified send-off.
Raph Lambert was a former U.S. Air Force veteran who had served the nation for two decades. He passed away in Louisiana on February 8 at the age of ninety-four but didn’t have any family or loved ones to give him a deserving sendoff.
When Jordan Marks—a local high school baseball coach—heard that Lambert was going to be cremated with no one present, he knew he had to do something.
“I picked the six seniors we have. I try to teach them the game of baseball but also the game of life, and anytime we can serve a community member or especially somebody that served for our country, we are more than happy to do it,” said Marks.
Mark conferred with his basketball players, and six of them —who are seniors at Menard High School—agreed to attend the veteran’s funeral and carry the coffin.
The basketball coach wanted to give the veteran a deserving sendoff and also use the opportunity to teach his players an important lesson—he believes in looking out for one another, much as teammates would on the court.
The six seniors namely Ashton Veade, Cameron Kinder, Jacob Giordano, Jackson Ford, Ashton Brodnax and Hunter Foster, carried the veteran’s casket to the Cenral Louisiana Veterans Cemetery. Giordano said it was an honor for them to be pallbearers for the veteran who had no loved ones.
Social media users praised the high school seniors for their caring gestures. “What a bunch of kind and caring young men!! We are ALL proud of you!!” wrote Paula.
“So so proud of these young men!! What honor this veteran had to be escorted to his resting place by these upstanding guys.”Carra wrote.”
