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Long awaited Military Honors
McCOOK Neb. - Three years have passed since the tragic death of Sgt. Dennis Keoki Cabanting, a former US Army veteran who bravely served his country only to face struggles on his return. Despite the passage of time, his mother, Julieann Day-Najar, continues to seek answers to the haunting question: why was her son not granted military funeral honors.
Sgt. Cabanting’s journey began in Hawaii, where he embarked on a path of service straight out of high school. His deployments to Germany, Kuwait, and, ultimately, Iraq shaped him in profound ways. However, it was the fateful day in November 2006 when his transportation unit faced an insurgent attack that marked a turning point in his life. The physical and psychological scars from that day lingered, manifesting as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other health challenges.
Sgt. Cabanting was featured in the Wounded Warrior Project, “Wounded: The Battle Back Home” documentry and got national attention. In an interview with the Austin Chronicle, Sgt. Cabanting said, “They trust me with weapons. They send me to war, and now I’m a little kid. I have to learn how to walk. What’s up with that?
Amid his struggles, Sgt. Cabanting’s marriage to his third wife seemed to isolate him from his loved ones. News of his passing emerged in November 2021; it left a void in the lives of those who knew him. One friend posted on Facebook, “I’m crying; I just found out that my good friend Dennis Cabanting died on 11/5/2021. His death is being investigated. I don’t know anything else.” She added, “He married some woman he met online - I did not approve - and then he cut off all contact with me (and his whole family) seemingly overnight. I tried for many years to get in contact with him. So many times. I felt he had been in trouble for many years, but my hands were tied because he was an adult, and he could cut off whoever he wanted to. Anyway, I’ve said too much. I want you to know that the world lost a good person who gave a lot for his country and suffered greatly. Rest In Peace, my dear friend. I missed you long before you died.”
The circumstances surrounding Sgt. Cabanting’s death remains shrouded in mystery, but what is certain is that he was cremated without the military service he deserved. This glaring omission prompted Day-Najar to take matters into her own hands, initiating a fundraising campaign to give her son the burial plot and headstone, befitting his sacrifice.
The outpouring of support from a community far from Day-Najar’s home reflects her son’s impact on those around him. The soldiers with whom he served in the 1074th transportation unit have rallied together to organize an unofficial but heartfelt tribute in his honor. At a graveside ceremony in McCook, fellow service members will pay their respects, ensuring that Sgt. Cabanting receives the military send-off that had eluded him.
In 2007, Connie Jo Discoe photographed Cabanting at the graveside of fellow soldier Randy Matheny; she wrote: “Cabanting, dressed in desert camouflage, stood straight, at attention, respectfully saluting the young man with whom he was to have shared a truck ride that day in February.” According to Day-Najar, her son thought it should have been him who died, not Matheny. She said that Dennis wrote in his journal that he went to his first sergeant and asked to be put back on as a gunner, but because of his previous injury, they said no. He wrote,” I’m 38 years old. Let me go.” This is, in part, the connection to McCook that contributed to Day-Najar’s decision to have the memorial for her son in McCook.
One of the local organizers, Mike Paz, shared, “It’s going to feel like full military service. It’s just unofficial.” He added, “He mattered; his service mattered. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Members of the 1074th will accompany Day-Najar in an escorted parade of vehicles and motorcycles from her hotel to Memorial Park Cemetary on Saturday.
Starting at 10 a.m., they will drive up Norris Avenue past the park and then to the cemetery, where they will perform the honor guard, hand off the flag to the mother, and make the final formation call.
Day-Najar was not given her son’s ashes, so in place of his remains, an army-issued metal ammo box filled with mementos of her son’s life will be buried.
Sgt. Dennis Cabanting’s story reminds us of the sacrifices of veterans like him, whose struggles often go unseen. Through the unity and compassion shown by his comrades and community members, his memory and the importance of providing closure to those left behind is recognized.
Those wishing to honor Sgt. Dennis Cabanting can gather and watch the parade of vehicles pass Norris Park shortly after 10:00 a.m.