DORAL, Fla. – Led into Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery on Thursday was the hearse of World War II Navy veteran Robert Morgan.
It entered to the sound of “Amazing Grace” and was escorted by retired military and law enforcement members.
The honors were for a man of the greatest generation, who lived to 99 years old and served the Miami-Dade community as a social worker, and his county in one of the deadliest wars in history.
Color Guard members from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Department of Corrections, Coral Gables Police Department and retired Marines joined together after watching Local 10′s story air about Morgan’s family’s dilemma in getting him military honors at his funeral service.
They learned there was a chance Morgan wouldn’t receive honors when his family discovered the necessary document verifying his service in the military hadn’t been completed with enough time to process it, so they helped the family provide an honor fit for a hero for Morgan.
“It was so emotional,” said Mary Morgan, Robert Morgan’s wife. “It rendered my heart into a thousand pieces.”
“He would’ve been absolutely over the moon,” said Robert’s son, Joe Morgan.
Robert Morgan was a man of faith who devoted his life to his family. He was also a man of humor, and it was this scramble to honor his life that his family says was his way of saying his last goodbye.
“I was kind of chuckling,” said Mary Morgan. “I said, ‘You are playing tricks on us, you know. This is typical of you.’”
The Morgan family is continuing to work with Veteran’s Affairs for Miami-Dade County for additional benefits they may qualify for.