Memorial Day concept. Sarasota National Cemetery with rows of white tomb stones with USA flags and flowers


A group of former students secured their school's custodian a headstone to honor his lifetime of service, both in school and the Army.

St. John's High School alumnus Bruce Atkinson was researching past classmates for an upcoming reunion when he came across the name of the Omaha-based school's deceased janitor, Herbert O'Hara. The cherished custodian had dutifully maintained the high school for the Class of 1964, although his work largely went unnoticed. What was noticeable was that O'Hara was buried without a gravestone.

Atkinson searched for information as to how O'Hara came to be buried without any marker and discovered that at the time of his death, he had no living family members. It was while digging for answers that Atkinson came across something even more surprising—O'Hara was a World War II veteran.

The remaining classmates from the Class of 1964 agreed that they had to take action. According to 3 KMTV News Now, Atkinson and others had to find documentation proving O'Hara's service to receive a free, government-furnished marker. O'Hara's students came across a final pay voucher from the National Archives, and finally, O'Hara received the recognition he rightly deserved.

Although the former classmates had few memories apart from O'Hara's name, a group gathered at his gravesite to pay tribute. In a military ceremony, O'Hara's life and service were celebrated with an honor guard, a 21-gun salute, and the playing of taps, as affirmed by Hoodline.