A man from Kentucky named John Lemmings wanted to pay tribute to a World War II veteran who had recently passed away due to complications of COVID-19.
Within days of testing positive for the virus, William H. Miranda Jr. passed away on April 4, 2020, he was 96 years old.
In an interview with WYMT News, Miranda’s son, Richard, emphasized how important it is to not take the coronavirus lightly.
Richard said in a statement, “This is very, very dangerous and people need to start taking it serious.”
Because the coronavirus is so highly contagious, patients who test positive or show symptoms are isolated and cannot have visitors.
Like many who are affected by this virus, Miranda died alone with no family around him. Richard saw his father right before he showed symptoms and was quarantined, which would unknowingly be the last time.
Richard expressed he wanted his father to be more than a statistic or just another number. He took his father’s story to the local news, hoping he could tell his story and make him more than just another victim of the coronavirus.
While serving in the military, Miranda was injured and later awarded two bronze stars for his service.
“He was my hero, I was very proud of him,” Richard said.
When Lemmings heard the story of the war veteran on the news, he felt it was important to honor him.
Lemmings went out to his front lawn and played Taps in honor of Mr. Miranda. He posted the video to Facebook, saying:
“In honor of Mr. William Miranda, Jr., a WWII veteran from Boyd County, who passed away over the weekend, during this time of social distancing. I felt it was important to honor him with Taps.”
Watch the touching tribute to Mr. William Miranda, Jr. below.