Ceremony provides military honors at Ill. cemetery

CLEAR LAKE - A special ceremony will be held this week to recognize a dozen veterans who were buried in a central Illinois cemetery without military honors.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports Wednesday's ceremony at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Clear Lake includes representatives from all four branches of the military.

It will include taps and a 21-gun salute.

Gael Kent is commander of the Interveterans Burial Detail of Sangamon County. He says the group wants "to make sure no veteran is buried alone."

Some veterans in the cemetery didn't receive military honors at their burial because no family members attended their funeral. Cemetery officials say that can happen in bad weather.

It's the first time the ceremony will be held at Camp Butler, but officials hope to hold them quarterly.