Naming the dead: B.C. man unravels the mysteries of veterans buried in unmarked graves

When Abbotsford veteran Glenn Smith first learned of the Last Post Fund, he was instantly intrigued by the organization's mission to unravel the mysteries of Canadian veterans buried in unmarked graves.

The role — part detective and part research nerd — spoke to Smith's passion for genealogy research, not to mention his own background as a military policeman.

So he volunteered, and in short order found himself consumed by a labour of love. 

"It's very rewarding," he said. "It makes me very happy when I discover a veteran in an unmarked grave.

"When I do find them and put a headstone on their grave, they get their identity back. They also get respect and honour."

The Last Post Fund has a goal of ensuring that no Canadian veteran is denied a dignified funeral, burial or military gravestone. The fund works in support of the Veterans Affairs Canada funeral and burial program.

Smith estimates there are close to 1,000 unmarked veteran graves in B.C. alone, and as many as 4,000 in Canada.

The first step to identifying an unmarked grave can be as simple as walking through the veterans' section of a cemetery.

"Often while walking these rows there'll be a void space — there won't be a marker for perhaps four to five or six feet," said Smith.

"That's a bit of a red flag. At that point myself or another Last Post Fund member will contact the cemetery caretaker or public works of the city ... and inquire if there is an individual in that area."

Once a name has been identified, the more arduous work of cross referencing it against military records and library archives begins. Then, if possible, he tries to identify a relative of the veteran.

"If I'm able to find next of kin... . They are always very excited to hear that I've found their family member in an unmarked grave," said Smith.

"At that point I ask them if they are interested in having that grave memorialized by a headstone provided by the Last Post Fund. In most instances, if not all, they wholeheartedly agree."

The two most common reasons a grave goes unmarked are that the deceased had lost contact with family, or at the time of death there was no money to pay for a headstone.

Mystery solved

Smith said he recently helped a man find the unmarked grave of his grandfather, a First World War veteran who died in 1938, and who the grandson knew had been buried somewhere at Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery.

"Sure enough, I was able to confirm his grandfather was in an unmarked grave," Smith said. "I've made an application and it's been approved, so a headstone will be placed on the grave in the near future... . [The grandson] is elated."

Other investigations have led Smith to discover a number of unmarked graves in the Nanaimo and Ladysmith area.

"Lots of veterans returned home and started working in the coal mines and logging industry. And they were single. When they died, they didn't have family members to give them a proper dignified burial, so the caretakers at funeral homes simply buried them in unmarked graves in local cemeteries," he said.

In 2019, the Last Post Fund introduced an Indigenous initiative to provide grave markers with traditional characters and name inscriptions. 

As coordinator of the Last Post Fund in B.C., Smith says he's always looking for like-minded volunteers to take on some of the work.

"I would be happy to hear from people who want to get involved or be cemetery researchers," he said.