A Sidney native who loved hot dogs, hamburgers and vanilla milkshakes will be buried with military honors Tuesday, thanks to the Veterans Memorial Park and the community.
Corby P. Ward, 77, was a U.S. Marine from August 1966 through March 1968, and was deployed to Vietnam. He attended Williams Township School, and spent his last years in Open Arms Retirement Center. He died Aug. 9. His obituary said he loved hot dogs, hamburgers and vanilla milkshakes, and would often visit the kitchen at the home to ask for milk and cheese as a snack.
Angela Norris of the Veterans Memorial Park of America said Ward’s only surviving relatives are a sister and brother-in-law, Shirley Ward Cribb and her husband Jerry. They were contacted about Ward’s death by the sheriff’s office after the retirement home couldn’t find a current number.
Jerry Cribb was at a loss: his wife suffers from dementia, Norris said, and the funeral home wanted him and his wife to decide what to do, as they were his only next of kin. Cribb contacted a family friend, Norris’ father John Paul Spivey, looking for advice. Spivey then called Norris, who is familiar with the final arrangement process through her advocacy work for veterans.
When she found out about Ward, Norris went to work to bring the veteran back to his native Coumbus County.
“There was no way we weren’t going to bring Mr. Ward home,” Norris said.
With the family’s permission, Norris said she contacted the funeral home and the retirement center. The funeral home had already picked out a casket and was going to bury Ward in a Raeford cemetery. They had not contacted any local veterans groups about assisting with a service, as is normally done on the passing of a former service member.
“They were just planning to bury him,” she said. “It was like nobody cared that this man served his country, and died in a nursing home. Nobody had called the local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), Vietnam Veterans Association, or even the VA.”
Norris began wading through the bureaucratic process of finding out Ward’s service record – but it wasn’t easy, since she was not his next of kin, and some documents were missing.
While his stay at the nursing home and funeral costs were being paid for by the Veterans Administration, she said, no one had a copy of his DD-214, the official discharge form that details a veteran’s service history.
“The home had a copy of his VA card, and his bills were paid,” she said. “He was 100 percent service related – but that’s all we could find out.”
At the same time, Norris was working to make arrangements to bring Ward home. She contacted Kyle Peacock from Peacock Funeral Service, who immediately offered to help. She also contacted the National Archives and explained about Ward’s missing discharge forms.
“They put me on hold, and I was Number 32 in line,” she laughed, “and they got to me 32 minutes later.” The archivist confirmed that Ward served in Vietnam, but didn’t share specifics about his service.
The U.S. Marine Corps University publication “An Expanding War” says that Marines were part of a surge of U.S. troops ordered to Vietnam beginning 1966. While they already had a presence in Vietnam, thousands more were sent overseas in the fight against North Vietnam’s invasion of the South.
Marines played pivotal roles in Operation Double Eagle, a major U.S. offensive involving Marines in their classical role as amphibious troops. They also saw fierce fighting at Khe Sanh, Da Nang and during the Tet Offensive. It’s not clear where and when Ward served, but more than 85 percent of deployed U.S. Marines saw some combat during the years of his service, according to USMCU.
After sharing Ward’s story with other members of the park committee, Norris said wheels began turning.
A burial plot was donated, and the Patriot Guards of North and South Carolina plan to send a contingent to attend. The Guard will line the route with American flags. Ward’s casket will be covered with an American flag, and an honor guard will present the flag to Cribb. Taps will also be played, Norris said.
Norris said she has heard from multiple people who plan to attend Tuesday’s graveside service at Peacock’s ever since she shared Ward’s story on social media. News of Ward’s funeral has been spread across several states. One former Marine who lives three hours away plans to attend, Norris said, and a number of other veterans also plan to be there.
Tuesday’s service is at 11 a.m., and will include a brief eulogy and prayer, she said. Cribb hopes to be able to bring Ward’s sister to the funeral, if her health allows.
“Nobody deserves to be forgotten,” Norris said. “Our Vietnam veterans were mistreated when they came home. None of our veterans need to be just buried and forgotten. They fought for us. They deserve our respect and our thanks.”
Tuesday’s graveside service will be at Columbus Memorial Park, 1227 SD. Madison St. Whiteville. The public is welcome.
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