High School Kids Step In As Pallbearers For Deceased Louisiana War Veteran [Video]
Louisiana native Thomas Hunter served in the United States Army from 1942-49. He participated in the Normandy Invasion. When Mr. hunter's military career was over, he returned home, and lived out his life as a bachelor.
He passed away at the age of 93, leaving no close male relatives. Mr. Hunter was, of course, deserving of full military honors at his funeral. This posed a problem. What to do about finding pallbearers. Bryan Price, director of Southern Funeral Homes in Winnfield, came up with a solution.
He contacted Lyn Bankston, the football coach at Winnfield High. Coach Bankston asked for volunteers to serve as pallbearers at Mr. Hunter's funeral. Justin Lawson, Matthew Harrell, Lee Estay, T.J. Homan, Christian Evans, and Brett Jurek stepped up. The boys asked if it was appropriate to wear their football jerseys. The coach told them, " You and this program stand for exactly what Mr. Hunter stood for when he was serving this country.”