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‘Band-Aid’ burial honors

For almost a decade, the United States Volunteers-Joint Services Command (USV-JSC) has been trying to rectify an issue for veteran burials at national cemeteries [“Fair honors?” March 31].

The problem is that less than 10 percent of all veterans buried in national cemeteries receive final military honors.

Burials in national cemeteries are a bifurcated responsibility of the executive branch, including the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA provides, primarily, the plot and headstone. The DoD provides the honors.

Because the number of veterans dying far exceeds the resources needed to provide final military honors, “Band-Aids” exist. First, the various state National Guards (not on federal status) and the reserves and, to a very limited degree, the active military provide the “two service members plus boom-box and flag” final military honors as directed by current legislation. Another approach is DoD Directive 1300.15, the Authorized Provider Partnership Program. The intent is to encourage and give legal standing to the veterans service organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

The results are a hodge-podge of uniforms, non-compliant military procedures at the graveside and pony-tails, beards, etc. Again, all done with good intentions but certainly far from the basic standards established by armed forces directives and regulations.

The USV-JSC (http://www.usv-jsc.org) has performed tens of thousands of hours of final military honors, all at no cost to the decedent’s family or the government. There is a rich resource to address this problem: the millions of retired, former service members and public-spirited citizens willing to perform final military honors in accordance with and certified by proper federal authorities in uniforms similar to the service the volunteer served in during his military service.

Lt. Col. Allen Baumann (ret.)

Commanding General, USV-JSC

Palmdale, Calif.