60 years later, WWI vet to receive correct headstone in Mitchell - Daily Republic
Davison County Veterans Service Officer Jessica Davidson said she first became familiar with the case when she took over the position late in 2014, but Davison County employees had been working on the case since 2010. That started a long, arduous... "We talk about not letting veterans being gone and forgotten," she said. Headstones are provided at no cost for veterans who met eligibility requirements as a veteran. Davidson said she looked at Ward's paperwork and saw the Department of Veterans Affairs denied the request because there was no certificate of release or discharge from active duty. The form, known as DD Form 214, is commonly used to verify honorable active service. Davidson thinks he might have been working a carnival in Mitchell when he died and his family didn't have the financial resources to fund bringing his body back to Texas. 16, 1919, and served in the artillery as a horseshoer—which was someone who provided hoof care for the horses used mainly for pulling artillery and supplies. Ward was also a member of the American Legion and local Legion members were the pallbearers for the funeral, according to. Source: www.mitchellrepublic.com
