Central Iowa nonprofit Final Salute is preparing for its eighth service, a solemn ceremony that will lay to rest sixteen unclaimed veterans at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter on Saturday. The event marks a major milestone for the organization, which aims to honor its 100th veteran or military spouse this year.
How the veterans were identified
Founder Lanae Strovers explained that a recent partnership with a Des Moines funeral home dramatically increased the number of unclaimed remains the group could serve. “We sat at five for a long time,” Strovers said. “The funeral home reached out, turned in about 72 urns, and as we sorted through them we found quite a few veterans.”
Details of the ceremony
The service will begin at the Lutheran Church of Hope in Waukee with a visitation at 9:30 a.m., followed by the formal ceremony at 11 a.m. A procession will then travel to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery, where burials are scheduled to start around 12:45 p.m.
Among the sixteen honored are nine Army veterans, three from the Navy, three Marines and one Air Force veteran. The ceremony will feature a Pledge of Allegiance led by a local Boy Scout troop, and the urns themselves were crafted by a high‑school shop class at Prairie‑City Monroe.
Community involvement
Strovers emphasized that the event is open to everyone and highlighted the broad community support that has grown around the program. “We have people flying in from six different states,” she said. “It’s really grown and the community has really come together for it. It’s a humbling day, but also a great day for anyone who wants to show honor and respect to this community.”
Volunteers, veterans’ families, local businesses and faith groups are all expected to attend, underscoring the shared commitment to remembering those who served the nation yet were left without a final resting place.
Looking ahead
Final Salute’s goal of reaching its 100th burial reflects a broader effort across Iowa to ensure that all veterans receive the dignity they deserve. The organization continues to work with funeral homes, churches and civic groups to locate and honor unclaimed service members, a mission that resonates deeply with Iowa’s strong tradition of supporting military families.
As the ceremony approaches, Strovers invites anyone interested to join the service, offering a chance to pay respects and participate in a meaningful act of gratitude for those who gave their lives for the country.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
