Friday, Oct. 25, 2019

AUGUSTA, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- A group helping the Richmond County Coroner's Office with reuniting veterans headstones says they'll be helping get those headstones home with honors.

At a news conference on Friday, Don Clark with Forces United said the group will be delivering those headstones with honor and taps from a group of volunteers.

"We're going to make sure we right that wrong," Clark said.

More than 100 veteran gravestones were located at the site of the old Dent's Funeral Home earlier this year.

"It was heartbreaking, it was a setback," said Mark Bowen.

Bowen, the Richmond County Coroner, has been working with his team around the clock to identify the veterans and track down their graves.

"To know that these guys give so much, and their burial wasn't complete," Bowen said. "You know, the dignity that they deserve, the honor that they deserve is not complete. They deserve more than an empty grave."

Bowen said his staff photographed all the headstones and set up a database to help contact local cemeteries that have been the final resting places for many of the veterans.

Clark praised the work of Bowen's office, saying he took the "above and beyond approach" to this case.

"Without the efforts of the marshal's office, without the efforts of the coroner's office taking the lead in bringing this up, many in the community would not be aware of this," Clark said.

Clark said the first delivery will be on Nov. 2.

Volunteers are invited to meet at Dyess Park across from the Coroner's Office at 10 a.m. for a ceremony, before going out to deliver the headstones.

If you want to volunteer, you can contact the Coroner's office or

If you believe you know who one of the headstones belongs to, you can call the Coroner's Office at (706) 821-2382.