When Stanley Stoltz died last week it was thought the Vietnam War veteran had no known family members.
The public was invited to attend his funeral at the Omaha National Cemetery Tuesday afternoon to make sure a hero was not alone when he was buried. On a sunny, cold Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people who never new Stoltz came to say goodbye and honor him for his service.
Amy Douglas says she was in awe of the turnout. "This is the kind of reception that our Vietnam veterans deserved when they came home from the war. So the fact that he gets this kind of reception when he goes home, it's very fitting."
Eventually some family members were located and Stoltz's brother was among those who attended the service.
Cemetery officials say they were overwhelmed by the turnout. So many people came that traffic was backed up to Interstate 80 along Highway 50 with bumper-to-bumper traffic reported. The service was delayed for about ten minutes to allow people to make it in.
One of the speakers at the funeral said that the Omaha National Cemetery is a place of love, hope and support. All of that was on display Tuesday afternoon. The flag that draped Stoltz's coffin will stay at the cemetery and be flown next Memorial Day.