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Veterans Provide Funeral For Little Rock Veteran Without Family

LITTLE ROCK (KFSM) — A Little Rock veteran who passed away all alone was given a funeral worthy of a hero, thanks to nearly 100 fellow veterans who showed...
PFC Powers

LITTLE ROCK (KFSM) — A Little Rock veteran who passed away all alone was given a funeral worthy of a hero, thanks to nearly 100 fellow veterans who showed up to their “brother’s” funeral, despite the fact that they’d never met him.

Private First Class William A. Powers, 68, died alone in a central Arkansas hospital on Feb. 8. Hospital and funeral home workers attempted to contact his family, but they found none.

“It’s very sad,” said Mike Frazier, manager at Roller-McNutt Funeral Home. “No one should leave the world like that.”

Frazier, who is also a veteran, told THV11 that he felt it was his duty to provide PFC Powers a proper burial.

Powers served as a soldier in the Vietnam War from 1966 until 1969.

Frazier reached out to the Patriot Guard Riders, who contacted veterans from all over. Nearly 100 showed up to give Powers a proper burial at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery.

The veterans showed up for Powers, and although they never knew him, they called themselves his family.

“He was not without family present because we feel he is family to us,” said veteran Michael Nuckolls.

With the help of the veterans who attended and were paul-bearers for Powers, Roller-McNutt Funeral Home was able to provid everything needed for the burial.

“He is my brother and that’s why I’m here. I’m going to honor him and stand for him,” said Jerry Ashby, Patriot Guard Riders.

The funeral home is still looking for Powers family, Frazier said. He said as far as they know, Powers was homeless.

To read more about PFC Powers on our CBS affiliate THV11’s site, click here.

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