At long last, U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Walter Kellett of Ironwood is coming home. He died in 1942 in a prison camp in the Philippines while serving this country during World War II at the tender age of 22.

It was just this past July when Kellett’s remains were identified. According to an Associated Press story on the matter, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting announced Monday that new technologies helped the Army identify Kellett’s remains. Scientists identified his remains using dental and anthropological analysis as well as circumstantial and material evidence.

A memorial service for Kellett will be held Saturday at the McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home in Ironwood, followed by interment with military honors at Riverside Cemetery.

Which emphasizes why another event coming up Saturday is of great import.

That’s because for those looking to support local veterans and military personnel, there are a number of ways do so at this event.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary to Post 3165 in Negaunee will be holding a craft show, soup luncheon and annual membership drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Negaunee Township Hall. The event will give attendees a chance to learn more about joining VFW Post 3165 and its auxiliary, as well as being an opportunity to shop homemade baked goods, Finnish crafts, jewelry and many other items, with all procedes going to programs that support veterans and their families.

Also, homemade soups, along with, bread, salad and deserts will also be available for attendees to enjoy for a $5 suggested donation.

One major aim of the event is to encourage eligible parties — which include those over 16 who are close relatives of persons who are or were eligible to join the VFW — to join the VFW Auxiliary to Post 3165 in “making a difference in the lives of Negaunee veterans, active-duty military and their families,” organizers told Journal Staff Writer Cecilia Brown for a story that appeared Thursday.

“It’s a wonderful organization,” VFW Auxiliary to Post 3165 President Scott Collins said in an interview. “Once you get in there, you help veterans in need. We preserve our nation’s patriotic traditions and we educate the youth, those are our goals.”

It’s important to join the auxiliary, he said, as the auxiliary does a wide variety of activities to support veterans, active-duty military and their families, as well as community projects, and is in need of more members to further its mission.

“We need to raise money to support these programs,” Collins said. “It’s all doable, but we need more people to help.”

Stories like Kellett’s serve as a reminder of what each of us owes to the women and men of the U.S. military for standing tall in our defense. Some of them gave all and it’s to them we owe a debt we can never truly repay.

But helping living veterans is a way to start.

To learn more about the information session, the VFW Auxiliary or its service projects, contact Collins 906-401-0453 or visit the VFW 3165 Auxiliary on Facebook.