Posted on 05/30/2015 2:45:40 PM PDT by Kaslin
A soldier from the Louisiana National Guard who died alongside Marines in a training accident deserves to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, his father said Saturday.
Former Green Beret Stephen Florich told Fox & Friends it is a “travesty” his son has been denied that honor because he was not on active duty at the time of his death.
Most active duty or retired military members of military service are eligible for in-ground interment at Arlington. Members of the reserves or National Guard are not eligible unless they have been on active duty.
“I think my son was very active on that aircraft,” Florich said. “My son was in uniform. My son was serving in the capacity as a crew chief and a door gunner. And in adverse weather conditions, he accepted a mission to train people for combat in the future. And in that, he gave all and lost his life.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
If the story is true, as stated by the father, then there should be an exception.
That would be a classy move under the circumstances. I could see a President Cruz authorizing that. Obama, unlikely.
Salute, anyhow.
Agree.
If a citizen-Soldier dies on drill status they deserve to be buried at Arlington.
Kind of hard to argue since they allowed Ted Kennedy to be buried there.
Columbarium ping.
The soldier qualifies to have his cremated remains placed in the columbarium, but not for a traditional ground burial.
Teddy served in WWII and those veterans are not affected to the changes in burial regulations a decade or more ago. Those changes limited traditional burials to only combat veterans. The reason is lack of space, although a few more acres have been added in the last 2-3 years.
The regulations are at: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Funeral-Information/Scheduling-a-Funeral/Establishing-Eligibility/Ground-Burial
On the practical side, many of the national cemeteries are becoming over crowded. I would propose that after 100 years of internment, that the remains be cremated and the urn placed in a memorial hall.
I know that some would find this offensive, but at some point in time, the space is going to need to be managed. A cut off date of 1915 would be a cut off prior to WWI.
Teddy didn’t serve in WWII-maybe you’re thinking of JFK?
Teddy was born in 1932. He went into the Army in 1951 for four years but his daddy got him out in two. He was stationed in Europe and enjoyed himself.
I hope that honor can be arranged unless the family does not wish to cremate.
Nobody would suppose the space was going to last forever at any rate; has there been consideration of opening extension cemeteries?
There should always been an exception or it should become the rule.
PLM,
thank you for providing the facts on Teddy.
Teddy was born in 1932. He went into the Army in 1951 for four years but his daddy got him out in two. He was stationed in Europe and enjoyed himself.
I got Teddy mixed up with Bobby: After serving in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Seaman Apprentice from 1944 to 1946, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy
You're forgetting about his time as a submarine captain after he returned stateside.
There is ALWAYS land around to start another burial ground. Use part of the Fed Park lands.
Arlington does not have a lot of adjacent land for expansion. Sometimes cemeteries fill up.
Dig them up?
Ever hear of revered ground?
A much better solution IMO is Arlington II.
My uncle was KIA on Siapan and they brought him back to his home town American soil which was appropriate, but digging up those how have served just because they are running out of space is bizarre in my opinion.
Another national cemetery is the only thing that makes sense to me...
The Arlington requirements .. I don’t see any references to special circumstances.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/eligib.htm
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