As the saying goes, no solider gets left behind.
On Thursday, dozens in the Hawaii military community gathered to ensure a veteran — whom most had never even met — wasn’t laid to rest alone.
The man was William “Bill” Dulaney, an 86-year-old Hilo resident who died in March.
Immediately after Dulaney died, none of his survivors came forward, and only a few in the community — largely at his church — knew him at all.
Dulaney was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was honorably discharged in 1950 after two years of service. When members of the VFW Post 3830 caught word of their fellow soldier’s passing, they united to plan a graveside service with full military honors to ensure the veteran was buried properly.
“Even though you have your biological family, when you go into the military, you have an extended family,” Commander Keoni De La Cruz said to the dozens of Marine Corps veterans, members of Hawaii Army National Guard, VFW Post members among other attendees at the 30-minute-long military burial at the Hawaii Veterans Cemetery. “And we never leave anyone behind. That’s why were here.”
For weeks after he died, details about Dulaney’s life were largely unknown.
Members of Victory Chapel in Hilo remembered him as a faithful, avid churchgoer who “attended every service — Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday evening,” according to church member Tamra Tarpley-Joseph, who, along with other members, helped look after Dulaney in recent years.
“Whenever we had some kind of gathering, he was there,” she said. “He was very humble, friendly and loved God. And he was very independent. That’s the Bill we know.”
Eventually, Dodo Mortuary funeral director Reid Tsuji found one of Dulaney’s sons, 67-year-old Bill Dulaney Jr., who lives in California. His son, who confirmed the deceased Dulaney, had four children and dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family had not seen or heard from Dulaney in years, his son said in a phone interview Thursday. The son described Dulaney as an independent person and a hard worker who held various jobs over the years in construction, security and upholstery work.
According to his son, Dulaney moved to Hawaii at least 40 years ago and resided in Honolulu with his second wife until she died about 20 years ago. His son believes Dulaney lived on the Big Island at least 15 years and said the two spoke occasionally.
He said he was unable to attend the service because he is recovering from surgery, but thanked the veterans for planning it.
“(My dad) would probably be very pleased they recognized him,” he said. “We’re grateful they were there. Everyone coming together like that is what he’d want.”
Tsuji said it’s “not every day” that deceased have no known survivors at the time of death, but it does happen. Generally, the funeral home hopes next of kin or family come forward after reading an obituary in the newspaper, he said.
De La Cruz wants Dulaney’s burial to be one of many involving the VFW. He said he’s pushing for the VFW Post to get more involved in funeral services for veterans.
“It’s something we’re trying to start up,” De La Cruz said. “Anytime there’s a veteran who doesn’t have family members we want to honor them.”