CARMEL – Werner Heinert may have died a lonely man, but the military veteran received a proper send off Thursday when 75 people gathered at the Cargain Funeral Home in Carmel to salute the resident of the Putnam Veterans Home as his flag-draped casket was placed in a hearse and taken to its final resting place at the Gerald Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in upstate Schuylerville.
Heinert, born in Germany, who served in the U.S. Army in the early 1960’s, passed away at the age of 88 with no known family or friends except for his fellow veterans residing at the home in Carmel.
Karl Rohde, director of the Putnam Veterans Service Agency, arranged the farewell with the assistance of the Joint Veterans Council and funeral director Justin Muenz.
“No veteran should ever be forgotten. Sadly, Werner had no relatives who could be located. In Putnam County, no veteran will ever be allowed to pass on without recognizing his or her service,” Rohde said.
During a brief service, a Vietnam vet noted, “We may never know what battles he fought or the stories of his pain but we do know Werner served greater than himself. We say thank you veteran for the service you gave; the risks you took and your sacrifices: Rest in peace soldier. Your watch has ended.”
Meghan Castellano of Guardian Revival who affectionately described herself as “Werner’s adopted daughter,” described Heinert as an “incredible man who loved his country, his military career and his fellow veterans at the Leibell Home.”
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