I'm not trying to be a smartass here - I just had a question. They buried Ted Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetary, next to his brothers John and Robert. I did read the Wikipedia record on his military service, which was less than two years. He didn't distinguish himself, and he served in Europe while we were at war in Korea, due to his connections. They don't automatically bury US Senators there either. So, I'd like to know what determined that he coud be buried there?
Maybe it has something to do with the spot he was buried being related to JFK's spot, but I didn't find anything on it that would explain it. Otherwise, I don't quite get it.....
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good question
ReplyDeleteThe question is on a few clicks of the mouse could have also answered:
ReplyDelete(http://www.gao.gov/archive/1998/he98081t.pdf)
Individuals eligible for burial at Arlington include the following:
• Any active duty member of the armed forces, except those members
serving on active duty for training only.
• Any retired member of the armed forces, who has service on active duty
(other than for training), is on a retired list, and is entitled to receive
retirement pay. If, at the time of death, a retired member is not entitled to
receive retirement pay, he or she will not be eligible for burial.
• Any former member of the armed forces separated for physical disability
before October 1, 1949, who has served on active duty and who would
have been eligible for retirement under 10 U.S.C. 1202 had the statute been
in effect on the date of separation.
• Any honorably discharged member of the armed forces who has been
awarded a Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished
Service Medal, Silver Star, or Purple Heart.
• People who have held the following positions, provided they were
honorably discharged from the armed forces: an elective office of the U.S.
government; Chief Justice of the United States or Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States; an office listed in 5 U.S.C. 5312 or 5
U.S.C. 5313 (level I and II executives); and chief of a mission if he or she
was at any time during his or her tenure classified in class I under the
provisions of 60 Stat. 1002, as amended (22 U.S.C. 866, 1964 ed.).
• Any former prisoner of war who served honorably, whose military service
terminated honorably, and who died on or after November 30, 1993.
• The spouse, widow, or widower; minor child; and, at the discretion of the
Secretary of the Army, unmarried adult child of any of the people listed
above. A surviving spouse who has remarried and whose remarriage is
void, terminated by death, or dissolved by annulment or divorce by a court
regains eligibility for burial in Arlington. An unmarried adult child may be
interred in the same grave in which the parent has been or will be interred,
provided that child was incapable of self-support up to the time of death
because of physical or mental condition.
• Widows or widowers of service members who were reinterred in Arlington
as part of a group burial may be interred in the same cemetery but not in
the same grave.
• The surviving spouse; minor child; and, at the discretion of the Secretary
of the Army, unmarried adult child of any person already buried at
Arlington.
• The parents of a minor child or unmarried adult child whose remains are
already buried at Arlington on the basis of the eligibility of a parent.
The following was taken from the "Establishing Eligibility" page of the Arlington Cemetary webpage.
ReplyDeleteg.Any former member of the Armed Forces who served on active duty (other than for training) and who held any of the following positions:
1.An elective office of the U.S. Government
A Guide to Burial at Arlington National Cemetery
ReplyDeleteEstablishing Eligibility
Eligibility for Interment (Ground Burial)
The persons specified below are eligible for ground burial in Arlington National Cemetery. The last period of active duty of former members of the Armed Forces must have ended honorably. Interment may be casketed or cremated remains.
Any active duty member of the Armed Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only).
Any veteran who is retired from active military service with the Armed Forces.
Any veteran who is retired from the Reserves is eligible upon reaching age 60 and drawing retired pay; and who served a period of active duty (other than for training).
Any former member of the Armed Forces separated honorably prior to October 1, 1949 for medical reasons and who was rated at 30% or greater disabled effective on the day of discharge.
Any former member of the Armed Forces who has been awarded one of the following decorations:
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross (Navy Cross or Air Force Cross)
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Purple Heart
The President of the United States or any former President of the United States.
Any former member of the Armed Forces who served on active duty (other than for training) and who held any of the following positions:
An elective office of the U.S. Government
Office of the Chief Justice of the United States or of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
An office listed, at the time the person held the position, in 5 USC 5312 or 5313 (Levels I and II of the Executive Schedule).
The chief of a mission who was at any time during his/her tenure classified in Class I under the provisions of Section 411, Act of 13 August 1946, 60 Stat. 1002, as amended (22 USC 866) or as listed in State Department memorandum dated March 21, 1988.
Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active military, naval, or air service, whose last period of military, naval or air service terminated honorably and who died on or after November 30, 1993.
The spouse, widow or widower, minor child, or permanently dependent child, and certain unmarried adult children of any of the above eligible veterans.
The widow or widower of:
a member of the Armed Forces who was lost or buried at sea or officially determined to be missing in action.
a member of the Armed Forces who is interred in a US military cemetery overseas that is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
a member of the Armed Forces who is interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group burial.
The surviving spouse, minor child, or permanently dependent child of any person already buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The parents of a minor child, or permanently dependent child whose remains, based on the eligibility of a parent, are already buried in ANC. A spouse divorced from the primary eligible, or widowed and remarried, is not eligible for interment.
Provided certain conditions are met, a former member of the Armed Forces may be buried in the same grave with a close relative who is already buried and is the primary eligible.
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Mike-from what I can gather from the coverage Saturday,it was a combination of his military service,his Senatorial service and the simple fact his brothers are buried there...teg
ReplyDeletemore related to JFK's spot than actual qualification, as currently (as I recall) you need to be at least a Silver Star recipient, given the limited space issues. Probably not an issue for JFK at the time of his interrment or RFK's, so maybe it's a family plan.
ReplyDeleteOf course, for some of the patricians, it seems that rules get bent (John-John and wife and consort's burial at sea from a co-opted active duty destroyer).
Also gotta bury him, who knows how long he'd burn if cremated.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it appears the info I first read was incomplete, although it does appear that it's another example of Congress giving itself more perks. Wikipedia basically ripped his military service, saying he spent the weekends mountain climbing in Europe while GI's died in Korea.
ReplyDeleteSounds like wiki isn't suffering a Kennedy truth squad as it is an Obama truth squad.
ReplyDeletethey dug a hole?
ReplyDelete