When Jaspen Boothe heard that only four people would be attending the funeral of a once-homeless World War II veteran, the former Army major knew she had to act.
“In the military, we don't serve alone, therefore we should not die alone,” Boothe said.
So she took to social media, posting messages on various veterans groups, asking people to attend a service remembering 91-year-old Serina Vine.
“I was thinking my efforts would make maybe 20 to 30 people show up,” Booth, 38, told the "Today" show.
Her expectations were far surpassed.
On June 7, about 200 strangers showed up for Vine’s funeral, held at Quantico National Cemetery in Virginia. Dozens waved American flags, a Marine Corps color guard performed the 21-gun salute and a bugler played "Taps," the Washington Post reported.
“It was like a pinnacle moment to show how veterans come together for veterans,” Boothe told the newspaper. “We are connected through our service and through our sacrifice. Look around now, she has 200 or so family members. As long as you’re a veteran you have friends and family everywhere and you’re never alone.”
At the service, Boothe spoke a few words, calling herself Vine’s “sister.” She was photographed planting a tender kiss on the casket.
“I referred to myself as Serina's sister, not because we were raised by the same parents, but because at one point, we both raised our hand and agreed to serve our nation,” Boothe told "Today."
Boothe said she felt especially connected to Vine because they had endured similarly challenging life experiences. In 2005, just before Boothe was about to deploy to Iraq, Hurricane Katrina wrecked her home. A month later, she was diagnosed with adenoidal cancer, and honorably discharged.
Boothe now lives in Haymarket, Virginia, and runs a nonprofit for homeless female vets called Final Salute. She also serves as a senior human resources officer in the Army Reserve.
She heard about Vine’s death from a retired Marine named William Jones, who had invited her to attend the service. It was “unacceptable” to him, Jones said, that so few would be there to bid Vine goodbye.
Very little was known about Vine's life, the Free Lance-Star reported. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, she served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946 doing radio intelligence.
In 1995, Vine was found living on the streets and suffering from dementia. Since then, she has lived in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Community Living Center in Washington. It was believed that she had no known next of kin or relatives living in the area.
Caretakers at the home said Vine spoke three languages and "loved dressing up for church on Sundays," per the Post.