Posted on 10/09/2014 10:51:59 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Federal funding for honor guards at military funerals in Minnesota has been cut.
KSTP sister station WDIO-TV reports instead of supporting 5,000 military funerals each year, only 3,000 funerals will be supported. Funerals held at Camp Ripley, Fort Snelling and a new veterans cemetery in Preston will get priority.
John Marshall, captain of the Duluth Honor Guard, says that means some veterans in the Duluth area will likely miss out on having the two active duty military personnel at their funeral.
“The federal government reneged on its promise to supplement two active military soldiers at all military funerals,” Marshall told WDIO. “It’s federal law.”
Marshall hopes the Northland will ask their senators and Congressman Nolan to find funding to reinstate this critical service for veterans.
This is not just a Minnesota problem, according to WDIO. Maine is also facing this issue, and their state and federal leaders have taken action to try to get more funding.
Obviously, active duty personnel and veterans have been denied permission to die in Minnesota, or at least have funerals there.
Poor choice of words. When my Father passed away, I thought that the services provided at Ft. Snelling were pretty special, especially for Mom.
This sounds like a good opportunity for an ROTC honor guard or even a Boy Scout troop, if the latter aren’t too busy buggering each other.
The local VFW and American Legion posts did the Military Honors for my father’s burial. Small town in NE Iowa.
What was nice about it was everyone knew each other and had volunteered to do it.
HHS seems to have unlimited funds to “relocate” illegal alien’s around the country.
Why is there federal funding for any private organization at all?
I suppose “John Marshall, captain of the Duluth Honor Guard” thinks it’s critical since he and the honor guard won’t get paid now.
Are they still playing “Taps” on a boombox at veterans’ funerals?
We had a live bugler.
Somebody please ask Al The Clown about this!
Live bugler at my father’s funeral as well. He passed in 2010.
The local American Legion post did the same for my grand father, father and my wife’s funerals in a small rural cemetery in Wisconsin.
Recently, at my Dad’s funeral, the “bugler” opened his case, faced away from the crowd, and “played” taps. A deep breath for the last few notes showed (at least) they’re trying!
The service was otherwise excellent.
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