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Veteran's dying wish honored
veteran-buriedWEB
Bill Stewart photo Local veterans recently helped grant a dying Vietnam veterans wish to be buried in a Marine Corps uniform. Darlene Smith, front row at left, was distant kin to the Indianapolis veteran. She works at McMinnville Physical Therapy with Zachary Sutton, center, and Christi Gilliam. They met with veteran advocates, back row, from left, Harold Lough, Tom Cantrell, John Davis and Doug Dietz, who helped facilitate the wish.
A Vietnam veteran wounded in the line of duty was granted his dying wish to be buried in a Marine Corps uniform thanks to local veterans who had never even met their fallen comrade.The veteran, James “Rick” Vize Jr., died recently of natural causes in Indianapolis, Ind., at the age of 69. He had served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1965-67 during which time he was wounded and awarded a Purple Heart. However, in leaving the military, he lost his Marine Corps uniform.“He had a dying wish to be buried in uniform and was under hospice care,” said Harold Lough, American Legion member and Vietnam veterans’ advocate.