ELMIRA, NY (WENY) -- A veteran was laid to rest Wednesday morning at Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira, but the journey to his final resting place is a bit of a mystery.
A box dropped off at the Vietnam War museum on Davis Street in Elmira included something no one expected. Among the papers, postcards, writings and photos, were the cremains of Victor Dair, who passed away in 1998.
"We opened the box to go through it and see exactly what was there and lo and behold, we found his remains. And that's when we had to act upon it," said Vietnam veteran and Chemung County Honor Guard member, Joe Kopacz.
VVA 803 President Larry Sherman began making phone calls, and due to Dair having no surviving family, Sherman made arrangements for his Dair's interment at Woodlawn.
Inside the box with Dair's ashes, were few clues about his life. Originally from Syracuse, military paperwork shows he served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1950, where he was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal. After his service with the Army, Dair then served with the U.S. Air Force from 1950 to 1954, receiving the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
With no known surviving family, members of the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter 803 knew what they had to do.
"We had to make sure he had the burial he deserved after 26 years of being in the box. We had to come to this national cemetery. To me it was an honor to help with the burial of one of our brothers," Kopacz said.
Kopacz presided over Dair's service, saying prayers while other members of the VVA Honor Guard performed a gun salute, and performed Taps. Two members of the Air Force also performed a flag ceremony, presenting the folded colors to Kopacz.
Twenty-six years after Dair's death, he is now among the service members in eternal rest at Woodlawn National Cemetery. Though he had no family, he was far from alone at the service.
"I just felt the need to be here because I don't think any veteran should be buried alone, it just spent chills down my spine saying that," said Nick Paluszkiewicz, a U.S Navy veteran who came to the funeral when he learned about Dair the night before. "I'll do that for any veteran that I know of, or hear of."
Dair's memory will now live on, thanks to the local veterans who stepped in to support a fellow brother in arms.
"I've been doing military honors for over 13 years, and I've done hundreds and hundreds of funerals. But when you're on the other side, receiving the flag of the deceased, it's very emotional, very moving. I felt honored and privileged to do this," Kopacz said.