By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Two unclaimed veterans from Berkeley County, South Carolina will be laid to rest on Friday at Beaufort National Cemetery.
The two veterans died without any friends or family who could claim them, but due to their veteran status and persistence by the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office, Beaufort County Coroner’s Office and Beaufort National Cemetery, these men will be buried in a ceremony with full military honors.
Lewis Melvin Coy III, 75, was a gunner’s mate (GMG1) in the U.S. Navy, and Benjamin Harrison Hyder III, 62, was a senior airman (SrA) in the U.S. Air Force.
Both died while living in Berkeley County, and after confirming their military service the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office began the process of requesting the military services and burial for the deceased.
This was the first time that their office had done anything like this, said Chevon Allen with the coroner’s office, so they reached out to the Beaufort Coroner’s office for assistance in filing the proper paperwork.
The funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, May 10 at Beaufort National Cemetery and the respective military branches will be present to render honors for the veterans.
The Patriot Guard Riders will be present and the ceremony, which will be presided over by a local pastor, will be conduced the same as if the men had families present.
The public is invited to come out to honor these veterans during their committal.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
