Classmates want military funeral for Peter Wang
The New York Daily News reports that JROTC cadet Peter Wang’s classmates are lobbying for a military funeral for him. They say that he held the door open for them to escape the gunfire in the Broward County, Florida Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week. He saved many lives while losing his own in the conflagration;
Jesse Pan, 34…said Wang’s parents, Hui Wang and Kongfeng Wang, moved to Parkland a year-and-a-half ago because he wanted to join the school’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
He wanted to be a role model for his younger brothers ages 13, 11 and 5.
“It is really sad because they moved here because of the school. He told them he wanted to join the Army and attend West Point in the future. He wanted to learn leadership skills and improve his character. He changed a lot when he joined. He started helping people.”
Peter, the son of Chinese immigrants who moved from Brooklyn, deserves a military-style funeral because he died saving his friends’ lives, Pan said.
“His parents told me he was holding the door to help them escape. He took bullets for them. His body had so much damage. He was shot in the chest, arms and brain.”
Category: We Remember
Do they even have a clue what they are asking for? What is a military funeral?
Flag over the casket – check.
Bugler sounding taps or as is the case with many veterans a recording – check.
Flag folded and presented to parents – check.
All accomplished by the service member’s branch – check.
Memo to JROTC instructors at this high school, get your asses in gear. john.navarra@browardschools.com and peter.mahmood@browardschools.com
Already handled. I emailed the school ROTC instructors with copies to the American Legion. Received the following response:
Thank you for your concerns, appropriate arrangement fitting with the family desirer have been made. I told the 1SGT to let me know if he needs a flag for the casket and that will be a piece of cake to deal with.
John V. Navarra, M.A.Ed., MBA
Army Instructor, First Sergeant
Room 505
(754) 322-2150 ext 5803060
Then I left a message on the NY Daily News tip line telling them there was no need to sensationalizing the tragedy. Just one more example of how this blog makes a difference.
Sensationalizing is what the NYDN does. Fitting that it’s really about the only thing they do even moderately well. This was their way of taking a shot at the military for not doing the right thing, even though it was taken care of.
The Daily Snooze hired Talcum X aka Shaun King. Nuff said.
The stinking liberals/leftists/communists, and NWO, AND DUMOCRAPS! Have not hesitated to want more gun control, even several RINO’s…dirty bastards! They don’t want gun control, we have tons of that, they want TO CONTROL YOU!! Slaves that will not interfere with their conspiracies, murders,, thefts, plans and takeovers…DON’T EVER FORGET IT!
I also contacted the largest flag retailer in Ft. Lauderdale and suggested they contact the JROTC 1SG and donate a flag. NYDN was not interested enough to return my call. We shall see. They used to pay me a buck a news tip when I was a kid in Brooklyn.
Sounds like it was handled well and in a manner that we can all appreciate. Well done.
Thanks, CM, for participating in the effort. Wish I’d thought of it. You did, so good on ya!
Appreciate the comment OWB. In my second civil service career I was an Army Director of Community Activities. My job then, and remains in retirement, is to take care of soldiers and soldier’s families. We all have that obligation for those who follow us into Harm’s way.
Don’t forget a 21 gun salute and a flag for the mother…damn you are right, its is very dusty in here!!
“Service before Self” … against all enemies foreign and domestic … If it’s up for a vote; I vote yes to his receiving honors at his funeral.
Just in case anyone feels so inclined:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/allow-cadet-peter-wang-receive-full-honors-military-burial
I signed it.
Proud to have signed.
Yup!
My name’s on the petition too.
Signed.
Signed
Absolutely! This kid showed bravery under fire!
Bravo Zulu young man! You truly deserve a heroes funeral! May you rest in Peace young warrior. I will be praying for you and your family during this tragic time.
I bet you you could get color guards to fight in bouts of elimination for the honor.
That is the whole point of my post. Why do they need a petition? Why a NY Daily News story? So someone can use these kids to generate publicity, negative against the President if possible. Everything they want is available right there to include numerous color guards from local VFW, American Legion and others.
Exactly! No petition needed…Like you said, all the resources are available right there at the local level.
They may not need the petition but they already have over 59,000 signatures…if you think that won’t touch the hearts of his parents…..think again, God bless’em!
IMHO the NY Daily News, just like the WaPo, NYT and most other liberal news outlets are just soulless entities filled with scumbags who don’t care about anything else other than sensationalizing to get what they think is a good scoop and sell advertising.
When I was in (66-68) The Daily News was a supporter of the war in Viet Nam and a staunch supporter of the Troops.
The News has morphed over the years into an NY Times wannabe.
I haven’t bought the rag in years, like Long Island’s local rag, Newsday.
After all….I do live in this suck-ass state, New York! What should I expect?? lol.
Great comments above and below.
Sounds like the kid would have made a fine officer. Yet another reason why the murdering cocksucker should be executed.
Slowly, executed slowly over 17 days seems like an appropriate punishment for his 17 victims and the agony they went through and what their families are now going through.
Scaphism.
Just read an article describing Scaphism….kinda reminds me of my wife’s cooking! I do all the cooking!!
Agreed 100%!
Whenever someone tells us our youth are all “snowflakes”, Peter Wang refutes them.
This kid stood tall in a hail of bullets…at FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. I would not be upset or angry at all if he received military honors. The kid died wearing the uniform, albeit a JROTC one. I check yes.
I don’t know the admin formalities involved, the ‘official status’ of JROTC cadets, etc.
I’d say a waiver to allow a military funeral is justified if needed.
‘All enemies foreign and domestic’…
Well on the surface I see a would-be Soldier, unarmed and engaged by a domestic enemy, who died in a manner that definitely qualifies as ‘heroic’.
A military funeral, posthumous promotion to 2d LT, and a valor award seems about right to me. He is a member of the US military who saved American lives at the cost of his own.
BZ, kid. Good thing there’s no minimum drinking age in Valhall, because you’re probably drowning in honeymead right about now.
I like the valor award, but the posthumous promotion may be a tough sell; more of a posthumous commission. The worst “they” can do is refuse, though, so it’s certainly worth a try.
There is an ROTC Medal for Heroism that JROTC Cadets are also eligible for. It is the highest Department of the Army award that a Cadet can receive. The criteria are almost exactly the same as those for the Soldier’s Medal.
I certainly think Cadet Wang merits this at a minimum.
And a firing party composed of his JRORC friends armed with AR family rifles just to upset the commies
The Good Idea Fairy has arrived. Does “No” work for you, Frank?
Have myself barricaded and am prepared for the onslaught.
What does “full military honors” mean? It sure sounds like something reserved for members of the military or veterans of same. Was this young man a member of the military? No. Was he a veteran of same? No.
Was Peter Wang an outstanding member of the next generation of military members? Absolutely. Would I volunteer to join other veterans who wish to honor this young man? Absolutely. But not as something he was not.
No question that this young man acted with great honor and sacrificed himself for others. I would like to thank his parents for raising such a young man, and also thank them for their sacrifice for all of us.
” Was this young man a member of the military? No. Was he a veteran of same? No.”
Was Martha Rae? No. Was she buried here in a veteran’s cemetery with full honors? Yes.
Exceptions have been made. Dunno the details, but it’s not for me to decide anyway.
Should he also get a posthumous Purple Heart Medal?
Of course not. But most JROTC departments offer a medal for heroic actions, and if anybody – anywhere – ever earned one, this cadet did.
“Should he also get a posthumous Purple Heart Medal?”
Martha Rae got one of those too…. another exception.
Raye’s
posthumous PH wasPurple Hearts were awarded prior to the 1997 statutory ban on award of the PH to civilians. Prior to 1997, civilian personnel serving with the military were eligible to receive a PH. Per Wikipedia, the last ones awarded to civilians were in 1996 at Khobar Towers.Raye died in 1994. If she were indeed injured by enemy action while supporting the military as a USO performer in-theater, her receipt of a PH wouldn’t require an exception to policy – it would merely be a
delayed butlegitimate award under rules in effect until 1997.Thnx…I didn’t know the in-out of it, just knew she got one because of my working environment here on Bragg.
…didn’t know her PH was posthumous either…learn all sorts of shit round here
anybody wanna do mah homewerk?
I did a bit of more checking, and I was in error in referring to her PH as “posthumous” above – she apparently received both of them while living.
Yes, both of them. She was wounded twice while in Vietnam with the USO, and apparently received a PH each time. She thus had a PH with 1 OLC.
My apologies for the error; it’s now fixed above. Just more proof that “assume” (which is what led to my error above) should indeed be spelled “ass-u-me”. (smile)
De nada, amigo. Having a good memory is a blessing (and, sometimes, a curse as well). And I thought I remembered that civilians serving with the military were authorized to receive PHs until fairly recently. A quit search confirmed that, as well as taught me something I didn’t know: that a fair number of civilians received one due to injuries incurred at Khobar Towers.
If I had one, I’d give it to his parents.
Ms. Raye did hold the honorary rank of colonel, but she did not serve in the military. She was, as you all know, one of the pre-eminent USO entertainers of World War II and on into Vietnam, and did a lot for the troops away from the stage as well.
That said, you’re right … exceptions have been made. Waivers have been granted.
If they don’t apply in Cadet Wang’s case, they don’t apply in ANY case.
Ooops…I guess I could at least spell her name correctly. I’ve actually been to Col Maggie Raye’s grave site here on Bragg.
I didn’t know that’s where she is interred. That’s pretty cool.
meant I knew her story…just not the pogey bits regarding the who gets what until when because why…etc
While Raye’s military funeral may set a “precedent”, it might also have been authorized under regs in effect at the time. Dunno, and don’t have time to research that aspect.
Per the current DoD Reg on Military Funeral Support is DoDI 1300.15 (newly revised as of 27 Dec 2017), the young man in question here doesn’t qualify as eligible. And the reg is ambiguous regarding whether or not eligibility criteria can be waived. Para 1.2.i allows the SECDEF/MILDEP Secretary to waive in full or in part performing military funeral honors during a period of war or national emergency, but nowhere does the reg explicitly allow those officials to extend military funeral honors to persons not normally authorized them in the first place.
My understanding is that JROTC is not affiliated with any single MILDEP. Therefore, either the SECDEF or USD apparently would have to make that call (waiver authority can’t be delegated lower within OSD, or lower than the MILDEP Secretary concerned).
We have adults in charge now. Let them consider the case for a waiver and do what they’re paid to do: decide.
Army JROTC most certainly falls under the DA under Cadet Command the same as SROTC
10 USC Chapter 102
OK, learned something new here (not involved previously with JROTC and thought the program was joint vice service-affiliated). Thanks.
Looks like the MILDEP Secretary of whatever branch owned the young man’s unit could also possibly take action on their own authority. Good to see that – better three such individuals than only two.
It would still be better IMO if the DoDI were changed to explicitly grant the SECDEF/USD/MILDEP Secretaries the necessary waiver authority, though. Perhaps this incident will serve as a catalyst for such a change.
Sorry, OWB. I gotta go in the opposite direction from you on this.
I know the cadet wasn’t in the military. But he was wearing his JROTC uniform when he performed what any sane individual would consider a heroic act, and he paid the ultimate price for that act.
I can’t see how affording him these honors diminishes anyone else getting them.
No problem, CW. I fully understand and expected many to disagree.
I completely agree with your characterization of his heroism.
Ambivalent, but would think a full military-style funeral conducted by his JROTC peers with a multi-service firing party would satisfy most folks. Not so sure I agree with anything more. He performed heroically and was in uniform… by those criteria a military funeral could be in order for a postal worker or firefighter. Save the military honors for those in the military.
And I have no problem at all with his JROTC peers performing a full blown military style funeral service, with honors, with rifle salute and anything else they want to put together. No doubt there would be plenty of veterans and ROTC members willing to assist them in doing so. Even having a military Chaplain on board would be fine with me.
He absolutely should be honored.
Yup. I am on board. Would have been glad to have him
in my program.
Give the kid a break. He more than carried his weight and with the light he shined in the heat of panic, he showed to have had the possibility at a bright future, more than a little certainly. He served the people of the country he came to live in. He did more than anyone should have expected of him at his age and position, having literally died for US citizens, what is more deserving of at least Some honor?
Agree 100%, this kid went above and beyond expected, put others before self, showed what it means to make an ultimate sacrifice. Wish more people showed this kind of selfless service to others, while not in the military exactly, his intent was clear to make a life of it, he did as much as he could.
Kipling’s poem to his son comes to mind, on what it means to be a man….
RIP young man.
If 30+ years of military service and multiple tours allow me to have an opinion, give him a military funeral, full honors, shit, even a PH.
I don’t have 30 years of Service but I’ve been overseas enough times and I say Yes to his receiving Military Honors, he died putting himself in harm’s way.
11B-Mailclerk was on this in the WOT, which many here missed. He included links. Here’s one: https://www.redstate.com/sarah-rumpf/2018/02/17/military-members-rally-honor-peter-wang-jrotc-hero-killed-florida-school-shooting/
There is also a link in the account above to leave a comment at the funeral home. Peter’s funeral is tomorrow and it looks like Veterans will turn out in force to honor Peter.
I signed his obituary guestbook.
His family will greatly appreciate that.
As a CO, I had oversight responsibilities for several JR NROTC commands within the vicinity of my command. I also had US Navy active duty and veteran burial detail responsibilities for several nearby counties. If this had been some NROTC kid under my “oversight”, I’d propose an “unless otherwise directed” plan to my ISIC to pay for a rental van, M-14 blanks, and flag out of my personal finances, ask for seasoned burial detail volunteers, personally deliver the flag with appropriate (if not exactly “official”) heartfelt words to the parents and give this kid a glorious and memorable send off…and goddamn the bureaucrats to try to stand in the way and I’d gladly take on an IG complaint if anyone had the low class to drop that dime
And I would be right there with you in your efforts. That is exactly the way I think it should be handled. Unofficially.
This may fall in the category, “If you have to ask permission, the answer is NO.”
http://www.cnn.com/US/9907/22/kennedy.plane.01/index.html?_s=PM:US
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/23/us/kennedy-burial-overview-private-ceremony-sea-for-3-kennedy-plane.html
Mr. Kennedy did not meet any of the criteria for people who are automatically entitled to naval commitment at sea. The special service was possible only because of a dispensation from the Secretary of Defense, William S. Cohen, in response to a request from Mr. Kennedy’s uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
The rules for burial at sea are somewhat different, johca. And if the CNO gave his approval, JFK Jr. indeed could have been legitimately buried at sea by the Navy.
DoDI 1300.15 explicitly gives authority for DoD to perform burial at sea for “U.S. citizens who are determined eligible by the Chief of Naval Operations because of notable service and or other contributions to our government.” I guess the CNO at the time must have deemed that having a father who was POTUS (and was assassinated while serving) qualified as “notable service” and/or “other contributions” sufficient to allow him to authorize burial at sea.
Why the same waiver authority isn’t explicitly granted in the same reg to the SECDEF and/or MILDEP Secretaries regarding military funeral honors is a damn good question. But as best I can tell, neither of the last two versions of DoDI 1300.15 have included such explicit authority. In contrast, both of those versions have included the above authority for the CNO to authorize civilians to be buried at sea by the Navy.
“He wanted to be a role model for his younger brothers ages 13, 11 and 5.”
He got his wish. Well done Cadet.
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… or the one”.
Well Done to Cadet Peter Wang… and prayers to his family and friends on their loss.
This man espoused the Core Values of the Army better than most soldiers I knew. He should be given this honor.
He will be a role model for many for decades to come, simply because of the way he comported himself in the face of mortal danger…
Thank you for all you have done young man.
RIP and God Bless the family and all the familie dealing with that horrible action of one stupidass punk…
Well done, Peter Wang.
See you on the other side.
Sorry but no. ROTC isn’t military.
Agreed. Too many here letting emotion rule over logic, reason and you know…regs.
I don’t get you at all…you’re a regular contributor but please to fuck off this one time
EAD.
Peter Wang is eligible for many honors for his bravery, both at the state and the Federal level. The most prestigious, I would guess, is one specifically for citizen heroism. There may be only four bestowed in a year and a medal may be awarded posthumously. The link to the award is below, in my 6:23 comment.
And yet, ROTC cadets are commissioned into the United States military after about 60 days of ACTUAL military training over two different summers.
Oh, and try telling the United States Military that ROTC Cadets aren’t military. My BCT battalion had a number of “spots” take over Platoon Leader roles for a full week prior to one of their training courses and my regular Infantry Company had a Sergeant-turned-Spot in a 2LT position with full honors accorded to an officer.
Corpsman!
Our FatCircles0311 needs some prep-H for his butthurt.
Peter Wang tried very hard to join us, and to the limit of his agency as a minor he -did-. How incredibly fucking stingy to deny him the “grateful nation” routine, when someone cashed his fucking check before he was legally able to write it.
You rang?
I may not sway the “rules are rules” crowd because I think they should request a waiver and if it’s denied those are the breaks. But I submit the following as something to ponder. Not an argument or a metaphor, just food for thought.
When there is a 15 year old (military aged male) on the opposite end of the iron sights and he demonstrates Hostile Intent / Hostile Action which constitutes Positive Identification of a Threat under the current ROE’s we engage them. Thousands of them over the past 40-50 years. The implication is that we take their personal agency, and commitment to cause seriously.
Is it a bridge too far for us to use a totality of the circumstances approach for judging this man’s commitment to his nation and neighbors? Is there a social imperative such that we should make every effort to encourage this kind of behavior in today’s youth?
I’m a bright line kinda guy, if it’s waiveable do it, if not don’t. If private citizens want to do their thing fine, I won’t be negative about it. I also think that waiving or creating a specific carve out for this type of stuff can send a strong message to young people trapped in a world of helicopter parents, safety caps and tide pods.
Any 15-year-old who can stand tall and help get his classmates to safety – while wearing his JROTC uniform – and take all those hits, making the ultimate sacrifice for his classmates while representing the military, is a far better man than you or I will ever be.
FYI, JROTC does fall under DA as does college-level ROTC.
Was Cadet Wang in the service? No, not yet. Now he never will be. And thanks to one idiot with screws loose and a rifle, we’ve lost what could have been one hell of a leader of men.
Tell us how recognizing his sacrifice in this manner diminishes the honors given someone who actually served and got paid for it. I’ll wait.
There’s an old saying in the legal realm that hard cases make bad law. It means that when there is a case in which the facts, usually related to a victim, are particularly tough, a court interprets the controlling law by twisting and contorting it in sympathy to the facts and victim. And that’s what we have here, perhaps. If certain military honors of any type are, by rule or law, not to be extended to individuals not in the military, then that’s the rule or law. If, however, because the facts are particularly tough, as in the case of Peter Wang selfless act, and the rule or law is bent, well, that opens a door and may prove regrettable later. Just food for thought, prompted by FatCircles0311’s view, that is, to me, quite understandable in this context.
I think you may find that ultimately, the law doesn’t allow for certain budgets to pay for it.
Not that folks are prohibited from doing it Sua Sponte.
Think of it as training for the Cadets, “this is how we bury our fallen”.
If I and my immediate peers could be tasked with a full blown ceremonial funeral and burial of a -dead roach- found in our barracks, as “corrective training”, how hard is it to do some real hero burial detail training for Cadets? I suspect, there may already be a budget for ceremonial training.
No “bad law” involved, just good training.
I suspect that the event could be funded as “training” and no one would blink an eye. Indeed, one could argue that it was a legitimate training exercise for the funeral detail.
That said, it could also result in someone’s career being ended if things went badly or the wrong person objected.
Federal law seems maddeningly ambiguous here. 10 USC 1941 prescribes who MUST receive military funeral honors on request, and who MUST NOT (e.g., those convicted of a specified list of crimes). It also gives the SECDEF and/or MILDEP Secretaries authority to waive performing all or part of normal military funeral honors under specified circumstances. But that part of Federal law appears silent regarding whether military funeral honors can be extended to deserving citizens on a case-by-case basis – and I haven’t found anywhere else where military funeral honors is directly addressed in Federal law (it might be, but I haven’t found it).
I don’t want to get too deep in the weeds of your comment but as it pertains to my above comment, if a law or rule contains a provision under which it’s requirements can be “waived” by discretion or circumstances, then no one is bending or breaking anything. It was drafted that way for a purpose. If it contains nothing that can be used for that purpose, there is no reason that a new law or rule is incapable of supplanting or superseding the old law. That’s how legislation and administrative rule making works. So when I said “carve out” I really mean pass a new law, not manipulate something subversively against it’s original intent.
“…if a law or rule contains a provision under which it’s requirements can be “waived” by discretion or circumstances, then no one is bending or breaking anything.” No question about that. If a waiver is permitted, then it is permitted.
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Check this out. Sounds like Peter Wang would be a great nominee.
http://themedalofhonor.com/citizen-honors
Nomination sent.
Outstanding.
Keeping it in mind. Cadet Wang would be a shoo-in.
That was to 2/17 Air Cav’s note about nominating for citizen-honors, by the way.
Does he merit burial in a National Cemetery?
I suspect not.
He can have my spot at Bourne.
I’ll find a nice spot some where else.
And -that-, folks, says about all that can be said for Cadet Private Peter Wang.
I just read that West Point has accepted him into the Class of 2025 (Posthumously).
Nice gesture…and goddammit. Need to blood eagle that cowardly bitch that shot him.
I prefer the classic: nail the miscreant to a cross.
BZ
Apppropriate:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/20/army-awards-heroism-medals-to-jrotc-cadets-killed-in-florida-school-shooting.html
A valiant heart. How I cry for this beautiful young man – Peter Wang – and his family. Many of us will always remember the hero you are and the many lives you put before yourself. I salute and honor brave “little” one. How sad we all are!!!
Saddened but also heartened that there are young Americans not in active military service who will stand fast in the face of mortal danger, even at the cost of their own lives, to save others. Yes, it’s sad that we should lose such people, but it also makes an American’s chest swell with great pride.
signed<3
Latest news from the Beeb. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43132215
“A reserves trainee who died helping other students escape a Florida school shooting has been posthumously accepted to a prestigious US military school.
Peter Wang, 15, who was one of 17 killed in the 14 February attack, was admitted to the class of 2025 at his dream school, West Point Academy. etc etc” All due respect for this young man who did what soldiers do and laid down his life for others.
You have a nose for news, Duck; unfortunately–well, let me just say that a separate post, dedicated to exactly that, went up here hours ago.