DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:00:17
1,500 strangers showed up at a church to bury a man they had never met. His name was John Bernard Arnold III. Born in Newport, Rhode Island, he knew lost before he knew much else. His mother died when he was young. His father couldn't keep him and his two sisters, so they grew up in foster care. John went on to serve in the US Navy during World War II, and for most of his 98 years, he made people laugh as a magician. John died on May 6, and there was no one left to bury him until a veteran named Terence O'Keefe put out a call from Hanson, Massachusetts. Come bury a man you've never met. We planned for the entire state to at least show up.
DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:01:03
The line snaked outside the church. I got there about an hour early and there were already 100 people deep.
DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:01:10
Erin O'Malley Mandeville came because her husband served 26 years in the US Navy. For her, there was never a question. Everyone deserves the respect of remembrance, especially our veterans.
DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:01:26
At the casket for veterans, one salute. No words were needed. The priest did offer some words to the crowd that gave a glimpse of the man. He loved classical music, chocolate cake, and Gray's Anatomy. When the priest said that, everyone in the church just kind of laughed a little bit because he's a little out of their target demo, but it just made me feel like I knew him.
DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:01:48
John had planned his funeral more than a decade ago. He wanted a Catholic mass, but no eulogy. He just wanted people to know that he believed and he served. Erin walked right up to the casket. John's Navy hat was right there beside him. I got teary eyed when I saw him, and he had his Navy hat right there next to him, which I was told he wore proudly every day. And I just quietly said, I hope wherever you are, you can see this because it's beautiful. [BAGPIPES PLAYING]
DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:02:27
At the cemetery under a cloudless sky, there were bagpipes, flags, and a gun salute. The flag from John's casket was folded and handed to the man who ran the veterans home where John spent his final years. It was just such a beautiful goodbye, such a beautiful last salute to this man.
DAVID BEGNAUD:
00:02:51
And then one more thing happened. The story spread and somewhere a family recognized the name. A great nephew, Joe Durbin, flew to Massachusetts and was given John's flag. And then he was escorted to his great uncle's grave to pay his respects. John didn't want a eulogy. He got 1,500 souls instead. Seems the magician from Newport still had one trick left. Oh my goodness. Beautiful story. We knew it was going to be powerful, but it just had so many twists and turns. It just got bigger, better, and bigger as the story went. How gorgeous. That's how David does it. Even though they didn't know him, they did know him, right? He was like their son, their father, their grandfather. Everyone who went to that funeral could see somebody they loved in John. 100%. I love that David always does it. So amazing. David, thank you. All right. And you can check out David's podcast, The Person Who Believed In Me,his newest episode available for download right now. It's going to be with CBS News contributor and happiness researcher, Arthur Brooks.
