Very sad but not at all surprising considering no one even knew he had died two months ago.
JRM

As a veteran, isn't he entitled to some sort of small military marker? And, question to our marine veterans on the board here, isn't there some sort of credo in the marines that marines attend a fellow marine in some way, bringing them back at all costs, and accompany them even to the graveside? Don't the marines have some sort of 'rule' (sorry, I'm spacing on the right word) about the dignity of an event like this... especially if there are no relatives?
Once again, I'm left wondering about the article... did the author ask the VA hospitals if they had any next of kin listed? Did Kirchner etc. check on maybe his name was spelled wrong or something that they couldn't find his next of kin? Did they exhaust all avenues of searching? This man's demise and lack of finding relatives is very sad for me to read.

Hospital admission records normally require "next of kin" or "contact person" information.

Apartment rental applications normally require "references" such as "nearest living relative."
The federal government supplies "free" military markers for deceased veterans. However; some one must make the formal request by completing the appropriate form and providing documentation of the veteran's death. Application verification and approval, and subsequent receipt of the small marker can take as long as a year.

Perhaps Dr. Kirchner might want to check possibilities of former addresses for him in Lebanon and Paoli. Often veterans live near the VA hospitals that they go to. Maybe someone there might have some next of kin info.
Knowing that this man is a veteran (since both hospitals have confirmed his being a patient) it just pains me that there might be next of kin or armed forces buddies who would want to know this circumstance of Mr. Buckingham's demise.