McHugh approves Arlington burial for Florich
You may have missed the controversy about Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich who was killed along with ten other Guardsmen in a helicopter crash during a training accident near Pensacola. Arlington Cemetery officials wouldn’t approve his burial there because of the circumstances of his death. Well, the Army Secretary, John McHugh overrode their decision yesterday and approved his interment at the national cemetery. According to a press release from the Army;
“As the nation’s premiere military cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery holds a unique place in the history and hearts of the United States,” said McHugh. “Because of the overwhelming number of requests for burials – and the limited space available – stringent criteria for in-ground burials were enacted to ensure that an otherwise eligible veteran or service member would not be denied their right to be buried at Arlington. ”
After reviewing the Florich family’s request, McHugh agreed that there was a “compelling justification for granting this request for an exception to ANC’s interment eligibility criteria.” McHugh specifically noted that while Florich was training in his capacity as a member of the National Guard, others who were killed were considered to be on active duty and were therefore eligible for burial at Arlington without an exception to policy. That anomaly led McHugh to reverse the Army’s earlier decision.
[…]
McHugh has since ordered a review of the Code of Federal Regulations – which governs eligibility for interment and inurnment at Arlington – to see if changes may be needed.
Category: Army News
McHugh probably got tired of the bad pub from FNC mafia doing full court press coverage of this story. Pete Hegseth was co host of Fox & Friends this morning ,and interviewed the very relieved ( ret. SF major) father of SSG Florich.
I am glad to see that the right thing was done, however grudgingly. I certainly understand the need for certain restrictions, but this one, to my mind, was a no-brainer.
My personal preference would have been to exhume Teddy Kennedy’s remains, and give that spot to this good soldier.
I find no compelling reason for ANY politician, unless they served honorably, to be buried in ANY of our nation’s veteran cemeteries.
FYI-Ted Kennedy was a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Who got drafted after he got the boot from Harvard for cheating.
No worries, tho–daddy made sure he wasn’t sent to Korea, and instead, sat on his ass in Germany for a couple of years and got out as a PFC.
yeah, but if you start picking and choosing based on draft vs. volunteer basis, you open up a HUGE can of worms.
Al Gore & Jean Kewwy have their ticket punched when the day comes.
AW1 Tim: Your views match mine to the letter. What really pisses off thinking folks is that fat alcoholic POS being honored as if he were some hero. If anything, he should have been buried BELOW some Navy Seals, given his experience with water-related heroics. Then again, even that close to a Seal would besmirch the Seal’s honor.
Hey they’ve got to keep that eternal flame burning some how. Between the alcohol and fat in Teddy, it’s probably good for another 50 years
AMEN!
About F-ing time good call Sir….
Wrong Call. It just shows that if you whine loud and long enough in the media then you can get what you want and long standing rules be damned.
Your attitude is crap and you should feel like crap.
I’m hesitant to disagree with the opinions here as I have the utmost respect for all of you, Jonn in particular. But before you hang me, hear me out. I disagree with this decision, I also feel it was the wrong call and I do feel bad about it. I feel bad mostly out of consideration for the family while also holding a feeling of disappointment in them, the father, in particular. He is retired Army, and certainly should understand the concept of having rules and following them in the interest of good order. But, I also understand that a grieving parent thinks differently in their moment of grief – and every moment there after. This death is tragic and sad, but no more so than any other death. Including the ten others that horrible day. It bothers me that the father, knowing the rules, knowing the reason for the rules, having sworn to uphold and defend just like his son, plead to have them changed for his son. Then again, his oath was different from his son’s as he was reportedly regular Army and his son was NG. We are seeing this more and more frequently and I find the trend deeply disturbing and truly frightening. I don’t want civilian and/or media opinion telling the military how to run the military. Dangerous precedents are being set and we are slipping down the slope. Some of the reversed decisions have been justified such as granting Purple Hearts to the Ft. hood victims. The same argument about civilians telling the military what to do hold but in that instance, it was to correct a politically motivated bad decision to not call what happened a terrorist act perpetrated by the enemy. This is an asymmetrical war so ‘battlefield’ is wherever the enemy attacks. But, that decision immediately led to demanding the PH for the victims of OKC. And for the call to grant the PH for suicides attributed to PTSD. Yes, that is a thing and becoming a bigger thing. There are more and more in the ‘Gold Star’, T.A.P.S. and S.O.S… Read more »
Oops. I hit the “report” button when I meant to hit the “reply” button. SORRY. Jonn, I really did not mean to “report” this comment.
Actually I want to agree with it.
I’m going to be hard-hearted Hanna here, and point out that funerals, burials, and cemeteries are for the living. The dead couldn’t care less. So what does that mean here? Bragging rights? Like your kid graduating from Harvard or Duke? A man or woman is no more or less a hero for being buried at Arlington, than if they were buried beside the little country church up the road. I would rather have a loved one in a nearby cemetery, even if it doesn’t have all the pomp and ceremony of a national cemetery. All of this going-on about Arlington is beginning to remind me of the grand churches and huge mausoleums built by rich Catholics in the 18th and 19th centuries. All the tinsel and glitter does not make the death easier, the rest sweeter, or the place in the afterlife any better.