Staff Sergeant William Lawrence Sizemore is an Air Force veteran who had no known family. But he wasn't forgotten at his funeral service in Texas on Thursday morning.
"In the face of so much turmoil in our society right now, what a wonderful picture it was, people coming together out of love for someone they never knew," said Donna Campbell, the Texas state senator from District 25.
Dozens of community members, including veterans of all military branches, showed up to pay their respects at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
"He's an Air Force vet, and I thought it was important that someone be present with him when he was laid to rest," veteran David Bruce said.
"Especially for a man who didn't have family, I didn't want him to go out alone. You've got to unite and help each other out," veteran Louis Irby said.
There's very little information about Sizemore. The Air Force found out that he lived in Spring Branch with his wife, Oralia, who passed away before him. Sizemore died at the age of 82 at his home. He served in the Korean and Vietnam War and was also in the Army Reserve.
"They went back and looked at his house and he had pictures of his wife, things that went on through their lifetime together. We know from the way he lived, his home, that he loved his wife very much," Campbell said.
One veteran group is hoping to track down any of Sizemore's relatives, if they're out there.
"I live in the area where he's from and we are going to try to help them find some of the family members so that we can get the flag and shell casings returned to any family that might be there," said Perry Connel with VFW Post 8573.
Zoeller Funeral Home in New Braunfels, Texas, donated all burial services for Sizemore's funeral.
