A Veteran has passed away, what an outrage!!!!!!!

[Tail_Gunner]

During the night this past Sunday, my son's fiancee's father passed away. He was just diagnosed with cancer only about a week ago. They immediately started an aggressive treatment of chemo and radiation, but the treatments stopped his heart. It was about all he could do to hang on long enough for family members to gather. He was only 57 and a Navy vet that served during Vietnam.

My son called the VFW to arrange for the entitled military honors for burial. The VFW called the Navy who said all they could do was the flag drapped coffin and presentation of flag to his widow. The Navy says they cannot provide an honor guard and 21 gun salute because the manning is not available.-mad -mad

Has this country sunk to the point where we have cut budgets and personnel to the point where we can't even provide earned & entitled benefits to our servicemen & women.

 

[jvencius]

Call your congressman right the hell now. IIRC, there is a federal law requiring that honors, if requested, MUST be provided. I was on the honor guard for a couple of years and there were a few times we moved heaven and earth, i.e. finding a half-dozen troops who were (1) sober, (2) in-town for July 4th weekend, and (3) available on 4 hours notice to go to a funeral in a town 3 1/2 hours away. It may have been challenging (presenting the flag to a five year-old kid was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do), but we always go the job done.

 

[stroke_smoke]

-mad -mad that really leaves me absolutly speechless and more than a little pissed off. both of my grandfather's were in WWII and they both got their honor's. regardless of whether they can spare the men or not they need to find a way to get him his earned honor's it. how would they and their families feel if it were them? this is a outrage.

 

[powerboatr]

call these folks

Call your congressman right the hell now. IIRC, there is a federal law requiring that honors, if requested, MUST be provided. I was on the honor guard for a couple of years and there were a few times we moved heaven and earth, i.e. finding a half-dozen troops who were (1) sober, (2) in-town for July 4th weekend, and (3) available on 4 hours notice to go to a funeral in a town 3 1/2 hours away. It may have been challenging (presenting the flag to a five year-old kid was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do), but we always go the job done.

uh yes sir CALL them now that is total BS. call teh ombudsman at the nearest navy base
call the command master chief raise hell-mad -mad


call the news

 

[oi8228oi]

thats just not right.... give em hell

 

[BIG JOE]

Sometimes.. Veterans organizations don't have the right numbers to call, or, you deal with whom ever answers the phone. Call the nearest Recruiter, nearest Military Base, nearest VA Hosp., Desedent Affairs Office

>>>RECRUITERS<<< are ALL well versed in helping you get the right folks, that can push the right buttons.

But... Right now, with all thats going on around the world, Honor Guards ARE streched purdy thin. I know several Sailors on the local Honor Guard.... They say thier main problem is: Being available, on the Day, Date and/or Time of day the family needs them. (Scheduleing)

 

[powerboatr]

va burial
right from the horses .... mouth

Military Funeral Honors

Military Funeral Honors
"Honoring Those Who Served"


The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for providing military funeral honors. "Honoring Those Who Served” is the title of the DOD program for providing dignified military funeral honors to veterans who have defended our nation.

Upon the family's request, Public Law 106-65 requires that every eligible veteran receive a military funeral honors ceremony, to include folding and presenting the United States burial flag and the playing of Taps. The law defines a military funeral honors detail as consisting of two or more uniformed military persons, with at least one being a member of the veteran's parent service of the armed forces. The DOD program calls for funeral home directors to request military funeral honors on behalf of the veterans' family. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration cemetery staff can also assist with arranging military funeral honors at VA national cemeteries. Veterans organizations may assist in providing military funeral honors. When military funeral honors at a national cemetery are desired, they are arranged prior to the committal service by the funeral home.

The Department of Defense began the implementation plan for providing military funeral honors for eligible veterans as enacted in Section 578 of Public Law 106-65 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2000 on Jan. 1, 2000.

Questions or comments concerning the DOD military funeral honors program may be sent to the address listed below. The military funeral honors Web site is located at www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil

Department of Defense
Directorate for Public Inquiry and Analysis
Room 3A750, The Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1400


To arrange military funeral honors, contact your local funeral home.

Military Funeral Honors Law



The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (NDAA for FY 2000) - Section 578 of the NDAA for FY 2000 and as amended by Sections 561 and 564 of the NDAA for FY 2002 and Section 571 of the NDAA for FY 2003 reflects the extensive deliberations conducted on military funeral honors. The following describes what is now required of the Department of Defense in the rendering of military funeral honors for veterans and is codified in Title 10, Chapter 75, Section 1491, U.S.C.:



· (a) AVAILABILILTY OF FUNERAL HONORS DETAIL ENSURED. The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that, upon request, a funeral honors detail is provided for the funeral of any veteran.



· (b) COMPOSITION OF FUNERAL HONORS DETAILS. (1) The Secretary of each military department shall ensure that a funeral honors detail for the funeral of a veteran consists of two or more persons. (2) At least two members of the funeral honors detail for a veteran’s funeral shall be members of the armed forces (other than members in a retired status), at least one of whom shall be a member of the armed force of which the veteran was a member. The remainder of the detail may consist of members of the armed forces (including members in a retired status) or members of veterans organizations or other organizations approved for purposes of this section under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. Each member of the armed forces in the detail shall wear the uniform of the member’s armed force while serving in the detail



· (c) CEREMONY. A funeral honors detail shall, at a minimum, perform at the funeral a ceremony that includes the folding of a United States flag and presentation of the flag to the veteran’s family and the playing of Taps. Unless a bugler is a member of the detail, the funeral honors detail shall play a recorded version of Taps using audio equipment which the detail shall provide if adequate audio equipment is not otherwise available for use at the funeral.



· (d) SUPPORT. (1) To support a funeral honors detail under this section, the Secretary of a military department may provide the following:

(A) For a person who participates in the funeral honors detail (other than a person who is a member of the armed forces not in a retired status or an employee of the United States), either transportation (or reimbursement for transportation) and expenses or the daily stipend prescribed under paragraph (2).

(B) For members of a veterans organization or other organization referred to in subsection (b)(2) and for members of the armed forces in a retired status, materiel, equipment and training.

(C) For members of a veterans organization or other organization referred to in subsection (b)(2) articles of clothing that, as determined by the Secretary concerned, are appropriate as a civilian uniform for persons participating in a funeral honors detail.





(2) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe annually a flat rate daily stipend for purposes of paragraph (1) (A). Such stipend shall be set at a rate so as to encompass typical costs for transportation and other miscellaneous expenses for persons participating in funeral honors details who are members of the armed forces in a retired status and other persons who are not members of the armed forces or employees of the United States.

(3) A stipend paid under this subsection to a member of the armed forces in a retired status is in addition to any compensation to which the member is entitled under section 435(a)(2) of title 37 and any other compensation to which the member may be entitled.



· (e) WAIVER AUTHORITY. (1) The Secretary of Defense may waive any requirement provided in or pursuant to this section when the Secretary considers it necessary to do so to meet the requirements of war, national emergency, or a contingency operation or other military requirements. The authority to make such a waiver may not be delegated to an official of a military department other than the Secretary of the military department and may not be delegated within the Office of the Secretary of Defense to an official at a level below Under Secretary of Defense.

(2) Before or promptly after granting a waiver under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall transmit a notification of the waiver to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives.



· (f) REGULATIONS. The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Those regulations shall include the following:

(1) A system for selection of units of the armed forces and other organizations to

provide funeral honors details.

(2) Procedures for responding and coordinating responses to requests for funeral

honors details.

(3) Procedures for establishing standards and protocol.

(4) Procedures for providing training and ensuring quality of performance.



· (g) ANNUAL REPORT. The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report not later than January 31 of each year beginning with 2001 and ending with 2005 on the experience of the Department of Defense under this section. Each such report shall provide data on the number of funerals supported under this section, the cost for that support, shown by manpower and other cost factors, and the number and costs of funerals supported by each participating organization. The data in the report shall be presented in a standard format, regardless of military department or other organization.



· (h) VETERAN DEFINED. In this section, the term “veteran” means a decedent who –

(1) served in the active military, naval, or air service (as defined in section 101(24) of title 38) and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable; or

(2) was a member or former member of the Selected Reserve described in section 2301(f) of title 38.

 

[BIG JOE]

WELL, that sez it all.

Thanks Robert.

 

[Scarlet_Nape]

Kent,

Call some of the local bases, recruiters, etc. Even call the VFW back, and explain to all of them what is going on. If you need some of us to make some calls on his(your son's fiance's father) behalf, send us some details and we'll make the calls. My father servered 28 years for the USAF, and I know he would be happy to call as well. I know our military has been thinned out way too much, but that is still absolute crap!

John

 

[Tail_Gunner]

There wasn't time to "raise hell" and "push the right buttons".

The funeral was this morning (Wed 8/2/06). I called my son after work, he tells me it was a nice ceremony. There was a Navy detail there to fold the flag and present it to the family. A bugler was there to play taps. I don't know if the bugler was provided by the Navy or the VFW.

Overall, it was a nice service, even though it was minus a honor guard and 21 gun salute.

Dave Bowman, here is my 21 gun salute to you: