On November 5, 2017, the body of 82-year-old Charles Walter Hand was found in Puyallup, Washington. Mr. Hand passed away of natural causes at Good Samaritan Hospital. Prior to his death, he had been residing at the Rainier Vista Nursing Home, where he lived out his final days. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, bearing the case number 17-2136, diligently pursued an exhaustive search for Mr. Hand's next of kin but were ultimately unable to locate any relatives.
Following the standard procedures for unclaimed individuals, Mr. Hand's remains were transferred to a rotation funeral home, where he was cremated. His cremains were then returned to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, located at 3619 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma, Washington. This office, under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner, can be contacted via phone at 253-798-6494.
Mr. Hand was a veteran, and as such, he was eligible to receive a proper burial with honors at the Tahoma National Cemetery. To ensure this honor, his cremains were respectfully entrusted to the Missing in America Project, an organization dedicated to identifying, claiming, and interring the unclaimed remains of American veterans. The Missing in America Project took charge of Mr. Hand's final arrangements, ensuring he was laid to rest with the dignity and respect he deserved as a service member.
While Mr. Hand's life story may remain largely untold, the collaborative efforts of the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office and the Missing in America Project ensured that his status as an unclaimed individual did not overshadow his contributions and service as a veteran, affirming that he was not forgotten in the end.
Date Found: 11/05/2017
