Group holds funeral for fellow veteran with no family in attendance

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Evansville veteran Gerald Amoroso has been laid to rest, thanks to a group of fellow veterans.

It was a day of remembering a fellow brother and veteran. The 82-year-old had no family in the area, and just lost his wife, Patricia, a few weeks ago.

Amoroso was born on Oct. 23, 1937, and passed away on Dec. 8, 2019.

John Greenwell, a Retired U.S. Coast Guard, said, “He did serve in the United States Air Force from 1956 to 1961.”

The Air Force veteran and former NASA operating engineer was honored by his fellow military brothers and sisters when no one else could.

“We owe this to him, we’re all families for us Veterans and Jerry has nobody here today, so Rolling Thunder wants to make sure that we are part of his family today,” Jerry Blake, the President of Rolling Thunder, the Indiana Chapter 6, said.

When Ziemer Funeral home realized no one could attend Amoroso’s funeral services, they reached out to the local veteran community and in a matter of 48-hours, they came forward to serve a man who served his country.

“Because he’s a veteran and there’s no one here to visit him and to support him and thank him for our freedom, for fighting in a war,” says Kim Weisheit, was one of the Rolling Thunder Chapter 6 members in attendance.

A procession led by a Rolling Thunder escort and a 21-gun salute, all to thank a man who fought for his country and community.

“If you know a veteran especially this time of year, if they need somebody, and need somebody to talk to, this is the time of year where and especially those that may not have others, it’s the time to lift them up and let them know how much you appreciate their service,” Greenwell said.

Amoroso was a Reitz Memorial graduate where he played football. Contributions can be made to Reitz Memorial High School in his honor.

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