Veterans Day: Framingham Man Who Died Of Coronavirus Remembered

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A popular Twitter account that memorializes people who died of coronavirus is highlighting military members for Veterans Day, including a World War II veteran from Framingham who died of the virus last spring.

Edgar VanBuren, 104, died of complications of COVID-19 on May 18 at the Carlyle House in Framingham, according to his obituary. VanBuren served in the Navy during World War II, and was present on Iwo Jima at the famous raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi in 1945.

Born in Utica, N.Y., in 1915, VanBuren graduated from New York University with a degree in engineering. He served as a lieutenant in the Navy's Seabees construction corps during the war.

After the war, he worked as a construction engineer, and was an active athlete up until recently. VanBuren was a life member at the Marlborough Country Club, and played golf there until he was 100-years-old, according to his obituary.

VanBuren was the first person highlighted by the @FacesofCOVID Twitter account on Veterans Day. The account was founded by Alex Goldstein, a former spokesperson for Massachusetts politicians including U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and former governor Deval Patrick.

Goldstein began the memorial project in March to, "Lift up the names, faces, and stories behind the numbing statistics to preserve the dignity to those we've lost to the pandemic and show compassion and empathy to the families who mourn."