BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Nathaniel Marshall passed away about a month ago with nobody to attend his funeral. However, Thursday, hundreds of people came out to his service in Brockton to celebrate his life and service.
When they could not find relatives to attend, police invited the public online to attend the Army veteran's burial in Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
"My father was a captain in the Navy and he is buried in Bourne," one funeral attendee told WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers.
Veterans at the event stressed the importance of brotherhood.
"Especially with the WWII guys, there's so, so few left now, so many people turned out for this, it's a great thing to see," one veteran said.
According to Marshall's neighbors, he lived a relatively solitary life, but was kind and giving.
In their post about the event, the Brockton Police Department said, "A police officer never knows what the day or night will ultimately bring. They could be involved in anything from an arrest to settling a domestic dispute, to checking on the welfare of an elderly resident, to saving a life or helping a mother deliver her baby."
Marshall was 94 years old at the time of his death.
"We also found that the Army awarded Mr. Marshall several medals and citations for his service to his country," Brockton Police wrote. "What detectives could not locate were any surviving family members. As one of our police sergeants put it, 'Mr. Marshall lived alone and died alone. We want to make sure that he isn’t buried alone.'"
WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers (@_madisonrogers) reports
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