Funeral For Veteran With no Family in Fishkill; Public Invited

A Hudson Valley veteran who had one of the toughest jobs in combat is being laid to rest. With no family to attend, the public is being asked to honor him at the funeral.

Kenny Mari served in the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. The Dutchess County resident worked as a tunnel rat from 1966 to 1969. Mari's job was to explore the depths of enemy tunnels to clear the way for his platoon. Spending his service crawling through dark and tight spaces, Mari never had any idea what dangers could lie ahead.

As a result of his service in Vietnam, Mari suffered from PTS and had been living on 100% disability with the VA. With no family to support him, Mari spent the last years of his life living in hospice care.

Funeral for Hudson Valley Hero

An obituary posted by the David T. Ferguson Funeral Home simply states that the 77-year-old passed away on March 2. With no family to attend, fellow veterans fear that Mari will be laid to rest with no one at his side.

Veteran advocate, Tom Zurhellen, is urging the public to help "give this hero the sendoff he deserves" A graveside service will be held for Mari this Friday and he's asking anyone who has the ability to show up and pay their respects to Mari.

The ceremony will take place at the Fishkill Rural Cemetery on Route 9 this Friday, March 7 from 12:00pm to 12:30pm.