DJJ youth, volunteers making urns for SC veterans

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s Department of Juvenile Justice is participating in a project to build urns to hold the unclaimed cremated remains of military veterans.

Members of the Missing in America Project and American Legion Post 193 are working Tuesday with youth in DJJ custody to build the wooden urns.

DJJ officials signed an agreement to make the urns last year.

Incarcerated youth in the care of the department and its carpentry program are designing and building urns used in formal interment ceremonies for unclaimed veterans at Fort Jackson National Cemetery and elsewhere.

Speakers at Tuesday’s event include DJJ director Margaret Barber.