Dear Veteran,
As Chairwoman of the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB), it is an honor to serve the men and women who have given so much to our nation. From loans to buy first homes and land to long-term care for Veterans in their golden years, the VLB offers the best benefits of any state to our Veterans, Military Members, and their families. Among these incredible benefits, our Unaccompanied Veterans Burial Program stands out as a touching community effort to ensure all Texas Veterans are laid to rest with dignity and care. The Lubbock community held its first Unaccompanied Veteran Burial on June 17, 2026, at the VLB’s new West Texas State Veterans Cemetery (SVC).
This major milestone came just 17 days after the West Texas SVC opened for burials on June 1, 2026. In a remarkable display of support, 105 attendees from across Lubbock and beyond attended the UVB for U.S. Army Veteran Specialist 5 (SP5) Herman Brown, Jr. As with every UVB held by the VLB, Mr. Brown was not expected to have any next of kin attend his burial. Before the Unaccompanied Veteran Program was created in 2015, Veterans with no family members to attend their burials were brought into the cemetery and given “direct no witness” burials without honors or recognition of their military service. Now, eligible Veterans like Mr. Brown are interred with honor and dignity, regardless of where they may have found themselves in life, through Unaccompanied Veteran Burials.
During a moving ceremony, Dr. John Kelley, Director of Texas State Veterans Cemeteries at the VLB, accepted the United States flag on behalf of Mr. Brown, and the West Texas Regional Honor Guard performed military honors. Mr. Brown served from December 1963 to June 1966, starting at age 19 during the Vietnam War era, and received the National Defense Service Medal, the Pistol Marksmanship Badge, and the Rifle Expert Marksmanship Badge for his service to our nation. In honor of his service, the Lubbock community provided an outpouring of support that defines this special program.
The VLB’s Unaccompanied Veteran Program alerts the communities surrounding our Texas State Veterans Cemeteries in Killeen, Corpus Christi, Abilene, Mission, and Lubbock when a UVB is scheduled. Ensuring no Veteran is missed requires a high level of coordination, including building relationships with community stakeholders such as funeral homes, county services, local judges, the Warriors Remembrance Foundation, the Pinkerton Surname Project, and the Patriot Guard Riders. The VLB and cemetery staff’s passion for this crucial work ensures that Texas stands ready to support the men and women who have defended our country.
The VLB has received overwhelming support across the State of Texas for unaccompanied Veterans. Hundreds of Texans attend these burial ceremonies, forming families for Veterans through the strongest bonds of community. I encourage Texans to learn more about the Unaccompanied Veteran Program and how to support it locally.
Together, we can ensure no Veteran is ever left behind.
For Texas,
Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D.
Letter From the Chairwoman — Expanding Our Unaccompanied Veteran Burials to Lubbock was originally published in Texas Veterans Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.