Nunn Bill to Honor Unclaimed Veterans with a Dignified Burial Recognized in Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Subscribe For Newsletter Updates! M About Blog News Priorities Issues Sponsored Legislation SHARE YOUR OPINION: 2025 Farm Bill SHARE YOUR OPINION: What are your priorities? 21 County Tours Serving You Get help with a Federal Agency Service Academy Nominations Visit DC Grant Program Application Internships Commendations and Greetings Congressional App Challenge Purchase a Flag Help for Veterans Mobile Office Hours Iowa Medal of Merit Contact Email Zach Get E-Mail Updates Office Locations Website Problem Follow Follow Follow Follow Jun 25, 2026 | News , Press Releases Nunn Bill to Honor Unclaimed Veterans with a Dignified Burial Recognized in Veterans’ Affairs Committee WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03), a combat veteran and Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and Don Davis (NC-01) introduced the bipartisan Unclaimed Veterans’ Legacy Grant Program Act , legislation to help locate, identify, and honor unclaimed veterans by ensuring they receive the dignified burial they earned through their service to the nation. The bill allows nonprofits, educational institutions, and community organizations to access existing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant funding to identify unclaimed or abandoned veteran remains, verify military service, and ensure veterans are laid to rest with full military honors. “After serving two decades in uniform, I take the promise to leave no one behind personally. Too many veterans pass away with no family to claim them and no fellow servicemember left to stand watch,” said Rep. Nunn . “Across Iowa and throughout the country, communities and nonprofit organizations have stepped up to ensure these heroes receive the dignified burial and final honors they earned. Our bipartisan legislation gives those organizations the federal support they need to continue this sacred mission, at no additional cost to taxpayers. The commitment to leave no one behind doesn’t end on the battlefield or when a veteran returns home — it is a promise we owe them for life.” Rep. Nunn spoke in support of the bill before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs this afternoon: In his remarks, Rep. Nunn highlighted the story of Joseph Chedester, a Union Civil War soldier whose remains went unclaimed when no family member came forward, leaving him forgotten and unburied for nearly a century. In 2024, Rep. Nunn attended the ceremony where Chedester was finally laid to rest with full military honors after an Iowa nonprofit, Final Salute, spent months researching his records to verify his service. Chedester’s story underscores a national problem. In 2023 alone, the VA identified more than 20,000 unclaimed veterans. In many cases, the obstacle to a dignified burial is the painstaking work required to conduct record review, establish military service, and find next-of-kin — research often coordinated by funeral homes, volunteers, and nonprofit organizations operating with limited resources. “Joseph put his life on the line to keep the United States united, and for nearly a century, no one came for him,” continued Rep. Nunn . “It took a group of dedicated Iowans to bring him home and lay him to rest with honor. This bill makes sure the people doing that quiet, painstaking work have the resources to keep doing it, for every veteran still waiting.” The VA’s Veterans Legacy Grant Program currently supports cemetery research, educational programming, and efforts to preserve the stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries. The Unclaimed Veterans’ Legacy Grant Program Act temporarily expands the authorized use of existing grant funding so recipients can dedicate resources to locating, identifying, transporting, and interring unclaimed veterans. “No veteran who wore America’s uniform should ever be forgotten. Across eastern North Carolina, we know freedom is not free,” said Rep. Davis . “Generations of brave men and women from our communities have stepped forward to serve, sacrifice, and defend the country we love. Our responsibility does not end when their service ends. Every veteran deserves to be properly identified, remembered, and laid to rest with the dignity and honor they earned.” “On behalf of 1.5 million veterans nationwide, The American Legion proudly supports the Unclaimed Veterans’ Legacy Grant Program Act ,” said Cole T. Lyle, National Legislative Director, The American Legion . “It is our duty as a nation to find, recover, and memorialize our nation’s veterans with dignity. We must ensure organizations that carry out this task have the resources they need to do so efficiently and effectively. We thank Representative Nunn and his staff for their work on this legislation, and we look forward to seeing it pass into law.” “The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs supports the Unclaimed Veterans’ Legacy Grant Program Act , which broadens the scope of the Veterans Legacy Grant Program to include applications for locating unclaimed or abandoned v