Edward K. Pearson had no immediate family when he died in late August, but the veteran was not alone when he was buried Tuesday.
The Florida resident died Aug. 31 at the age of 80, according to his funeral notice, which said the veteran had no immediate family and “all are welcome to attend” the funeral.
{mosads}More than 1,000 people took up the offer, according to WFTS Tampa Bay, a local ABC-affiliate.
Christian Ziegler, vice chairman of the Florida GOP, estimated that more than 4,000 people came to the service at the Sarasota National Cemetery.
Ziegler thanked CNN host Jake Tapper, who in part helped spread the word about the veteran’s service by tweeting out the funeral announcement.
Tapper tweeted Sunday letting followers know about the funeral, along with a reminder Tuesday.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) also tweeted out the announcement to spread the word about the funeral to honor the veteran.
The cemetery’s assistant director Ed Lyons, who is also a veteran, told WFTS he is glad people are reaching out to honor Pearson.
“It’s what these veterans deserve, it’s what this veteran deserves,” Lyons said.
Among the attendees was the Sarasota Police Department, which said it was “honored” to be in the crowd paying respects to Pearson.