Members of the Patriot Guard Riders are rallying people to attend a funeral Thursday for an El Dorado veteran after the group was informed the funeral home was unable to locate any family for the man.
Vietnam veteran Freddie Lee Hillhouse, 71, died at his home in El Dorado on Jan. 3, according to an obituary by Young's Funeral Directors.
The funeral home and county coroner searched "all avenues," but no family has come forward, manager David Garner said.
Hillhouse will be buried at the state Veteran's Cemetery, with a service starting at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Mark "Camel" Taylor with the Patriot Guard Riders said the group sent out word seeking members to form a group to attend Hillhouse's funeral.
So far, Taylor said, the show of support has been encouraging.
"We do things like this on a regular basis, and no one takes notice, then one hits social media and 500 people show up," Taylor said.
The Patriots Guard Riders are a group formed in Kansas to attend the funerals of veterans that were picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church, a group that blames the deaths of soldiers on homosexuality.
Today, the Patriot Guard Riders attend funerals of veterans, police, firefighters and first responders at the invitation of families. They also rally groups to attend the funerals of indigent and homeless veterans. Missions are also held to send troops off overseas and greet them on their return.
Taylor said the group held 10,000 missions last year, most of which were funerals.
Hillhouse was born on June 24, 1944, in Manila and served in the Army, his obituary said.
The Arkansas Veterans Cemetery is located at 1501 W. Maryland Ave. in North Little Rock.