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Vets with no family not forgotten at funerals

Photo: Gregory Cunningham

It was entirely predictable what would happen today at the funeral for James McCue, 97, who died at a home for old folks in Methuen, Mass., outliving all the family he had.

He enlisted in November 1943 and participated in five major battles in an anti-aircraft artillery unit, including landing in Normandy during D-Day in 1944.

Lawrence (Mass.) Veterans' Service Director Jaime Melendez put out the call on Tuesday for people to drop whatever they think is important, and show up.

They did.

https://www.facebook.com/gregory.j.cunningham.5/posts/10217994817720465

Meanwhile, only a couple of people were expected today at George Osborne's funeral in Southampton, England. His two remaining friends had given a photo album to the funeral director. The funeral director put it online because "it would be criminal for there to only be two people at his funeral," he told the BBC.

As it turned out, there were people -- 350 of them -- willing to give George, 97, a "fitting send-off," the BBC reports.