Hundreds of Strangers Attend Funeral of Korean War Vet With No Known Family Left

Hundreds of people who'd never met Korean War veteran Dale Quick turned out to honor the 91-year-old at his Nebraska funeral.

The man had no known survivors, so Roper and Sons Funeral Home issued a public appeal on its website for "any and all veterans, veterans' clubs and organizations and our community to attend Dale's service to honor an individual who so selflessly served our country."

"By all accounts, Dale led a simple life," his obituary read. It added that he was honorably discharged from the Army after "faithfully serving his country" from 1947 to 1955.

Funeral home director Paul Roper said the turnout didn't surprise him. Even the state's governor came.

"I know the strong bond that Lincoln has with its veterans," Roper told InsideEdition.com Tuesday. "The guy deserves it, that's for sure."

One thing that did surprise him was the arrival of Quick's great niece. She had lost track of him after he entered a nursing home 17 years ago, Roper said. He's not sure how she found out about the service, he said. "She came with her family, which was fantastic. I was glad glad they came. It's quite something."

Quick's great niece and about 300 strangers gave  Quick a respectful send off at his funeral Monday morning. Some 50 bikers attended, and flag carriers led his casket to its burial site.

"We wanted to make sure that he knew he still had family, even if they weren't biological," Jody Schmale, commander of the American Legion Riders, told KLKN-TV.

"I think what it shows is that Lincoln is a very caring community and they want to honor our veterans and even for someone they don't know, like Dale Quick, to come and pay their last respects," said Gov. Pete Ricketts. 

Quick had been cared for at an assisted living facility in Lincoln. His wife, Caroline, died in 1987 at age 42. He arranged his own funeral and paid for it one year after she passed away, Roper said. 

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