Langhorne resident Dan Kohlbek, with his son, Dan, puts his volunteer efforts behind the military credo of the fallen soldier: “no one left behind.” Their Bucks County-based nonprofit, Never Again Grieve Alone (NAGA) seeks to identify unclaimed veterans nationwide. Tianna G. Hansen profiled the work for the Fairless Focus.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs defines an unclaimed veteran as one who:

• Dies with no next of kin or other person to claim their remains
• Dies without sufficient resources available to cover burial and funeral expenses

The Kohnbek’s efforts on behalf of Project NAGA included a multi-state visit to military grave sites. The trip combined the family’s commitment to honoring veterans with the younger Dan’s college preview process (he is a senior at Pennsbury High School).

“There’s literally not a cemetery around that doesn’t have unclaimed veterans,” says elder Dan, highlighting the issue’s extensiveness.

Before creating Project NAGA, he researched how to organize the effort. He wanted to transcend other cause-related nonprofit activities.

“[Our method] goes beyond the T-shirt,” Dan says. “It’s great to be able to stand for something. But what impact are you leaving, beyond showing up for a run and wearing a T-shirt to claim you stand for something?”

More on Project NAGA is at the Fairless Focus.