'The world responded': More than a thousand people attend funeral for East Bridgewater veteran who left behind no family

"Shortly after Arnold's passing, Terrence O'Keeffe, an officer for Hanover/Hanson Veteran Services, received a call from his caretaker. O'Keeffe learned that Arnold had no known living family members left and wanted to ensure the veteran received the sendoff he deserved. With the help of Hanson's police and fire departments, the town's Department of Public Works, and several fellow veteran service officers, O'Keeffe made it happen."

"A simple Facebook post became a call to action that "went across the country, as far as California," O'Keeffe told Boston.com. Even before Arnold's funeral, O'Keeffe knew the community's response was something special. But on Monday morning, the group waiting at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church was beyond anything he could have hoped for."

""The line went around the corner and down the street," O'Keeffe said. "We had max capacity at the church." Funeral service workers later told him that the tribute to Arnold's life attracted a crowd of around 1,500 people. It wasn't just locals, either; O'Keeffe recalled a group of bikers who said they had come all the way from Long Island."

"After the funeral Mass, Arnold was brought to his final resting place at Cedar Knoll Cemetery in Taunton. O'Keeffe and veteran service officers Christopher Buckley, Christine Callahan, and Declan Ware were among those who served as pallbearers and carried Arnold to rest. "The world responded, and it was incredible," O'Keeffe said."

John Bernard Arnold III, an East Bridgewater World War II veteran and former U.S. Navy member, died May 6 at age 98 while living at the Garrison Home for Veterans. After his passing, Hanover/Hanson Veteran Services officer Terrence O’Keeffe learned Arnold had no known living family members and wanted to ensure he received a proper sendoff. With support from local police and fire departments, the Department of Public Works, and veteran service officers, a Facebook post helped organize the tribute. More than 1,500 people gathered at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, with attendees traveling from outside the area. After the funeral Mass, Arnold was buried at Cedar Knoll Cemetery in Taunton, carried by fellow veteran service officers and others.

Read at Boston.com