Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 11/11/2002

Good Sarge---I am a retired vet and eligible for burial at Arlington. For the past few years I have been wondering about my wife. She is 6 years older than me. If she should pre-decease me, would she be eligible for burial at Arlington?

Regards Wayne W Spingfiled Va

Dear Wayne, the simple answer is yes.  The basic elgibility for burial at Arlington includes:

      ·      Those persons who have died on active duty; 

·      Those having at least 20 years active duty or active reserve service which qualifies them for retired pay either upon retirement or at age 60, and those retired for disability;

·         Veterans honorably discharged for 30% or more disability before 1 October 1949; 

·      Holders of the nation's highest military decorations (Medals of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross or Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, and Silver Star) or the Purple Heart; 

·         Persons who have held any of the following positions, provided their last period of active duty (other than for training) as a member of the Armed Forces terminated honorably: an elected official of the United States 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 in 5 USC 5312 or 5 USC 5313; 

·         The chief of a mission who was at any time during his tenure classified in Class I under the provisions of 411 of the Act of 13 August 1946, 60 Stat. 1002, as amended (22 USC 866);  

And Wayne now the following is the part that you are interested in :

·      The spouse or unmarried minor (under 21) child of any of the above, or of any person already buried in Arlington. An unmarried dependent student qualifies up to age 23; 

·         An unmarried child of any of the above with physical or mental disability acquired before age 21; 

·         Provided certain special requirements are met, a veteran who is the parent, brother, sister or child of an eligible person already interred. Interment must be in the same grave as the primary eligible, the veteran's spouse must waive his or her eligibility for Arlington, and the veteran can have no dependent children at the time of death; 

·         Any former prisoner of war who was on active duty in the Armed Forces and who served honorably while a prisoner. 

In addition to the above, the criteria for the Columbarium (a structure for cremated remains) are more liberal, and extend to all honorably discharged veterans. Those qualifying for inurnment include:

·         Any member of the Armed Forces who dies on active duty; 

·         Any former member of the Armed Forces who served on active duty (other than for training) and whose last service ended honorably; 

·         Certain reservists and ROTC members who died while on active duty; while training or on authorized travel; or while hospitalized as the result of active duty training or authorized travel; 

·         Certain commissioned officers of the U.S. Coast Guard and Geodetic Survey (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) or of the U.S. Public Health Service; and 

·         The spouse or unmarried minor or permanently dependent child of any of the above, or of any person already in the Columbarium. A student qualifies up to age 23. 

For additional information, readers are encouraged to visit the Arlington National Cemetery website at www.arlingtoncemetery.org.

SHAFT KUDOS

The Sarge is looking forward to attending  the National Press Club Book fair.

More than 60 authors will be on hand at the 25th annual National Press Club Book Fair and Authors' night Thursday, November 14 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Participating authors with military type books include Eliot Cohen (with Supreme Command), Carlo D'Este (with Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life), Antonio and Jonna Mendez (with Spy Dust), Jeff Shaara (with The Glorious Cause) and David Vise (with The Bureau and the Mole). Nationally known authors appearing at the Book Fair: Lisa Beamer, Sarah Brady, Christopher Buckley, Phyllis George, Robert Guilluame, Brian Haig, Katherine Harris, Johnny Holliday, Jim Lehrer, Malachy McCourt, Brad Meltzer, Dick Morris, Tom Shales, Kenneth W. Starr, Alexandra Stoddard, Caspar Weinberger, George Will, Gary Williams, James Lee Witt and many more.

Billed as Washington's largest literary event, the Book Fair offers a one-stop shopping opportunity. It is a perfect time to select books for holiday giving. Choose from children's books, cookbooks, Washington exposes, biographies, histories, self-help books, humor and best-selling fiction.

This event attracts hundreds of fans, Press Club members, publishers and agents. It's an opportunity to meet the authors as they sign your book purchases.

Admission is free for members of the National Press Club and $5 for non-members. Tickets are available for purchase at the National Press Club (202-662-7501) or Olsson's Books & Records locations (202-347-3686). No outside books are allowed.

The National Press Club is located at 529 14th St., NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045.

For more information, visit the Press Club Web site at www.press.org.

Pfizer Pharmaceuticals recently announced that it has signed a Statement of Support for its military employees with the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

In a ceremony attended by more than a dozen Pfizer colleagues who serve in the National Guard and U.S. Armed Forces Reserve, Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hank McKinnell pledged that career opportunities Pfizer will not be limited, denied or sacrificed due to part-time military service commitments. The Sarge salutes Pfizer for this fine example of patriotism and good corporate citizenship.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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