Arlington refuses burial of U.S. ally from Vietnam War (Vang Pao)

[alp227]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) -- The family of a man who fought alongside U.S. troops in Vietnam have been told their relative will not be allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Maj. Gen. Vang Pao led thousands of Hmong soldiers as they fought alongside the United States against the North Vietnamese Army during the war in Southeast Asia, according to a news release from Rep. Jim Costa, D-California.

Costa, on behalf of Pao's family, asked the Army to grant an exception to Arlington's rules to allow Pao to be buried in the nation's most hallowed burial ground. Pao died recently of complications from pneumonia, according to Costa.

"The Vang Pao family's request for an exception to the burial policy was thoroughly reviewed by a board comprised of senior military and civilian officials. ... After a comprehensive analysis, the board unanimously recommended denial of the request for exception to policy. Upon receipt of the board's input, the secretary carefully reviewed and deliberated on this matter and accepted the board's recommendation," according to a statement from the Army released Friday evening.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/04/arlington.vietnam/index.html

[angstlessk]

1. WELL,,,if we had WON the war..then maybe..BUT WE LOST...MFKR!

get outa our cemetery....WHATEVER!!!

[sarge43]

2. The majority of US veterans who honorably served, sometimes in combat,

can not be intered at Arlington.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/funeral_information/guide.interment.html

[cliffordu]

3. Exactly right.

[TheMadMonk]

6. So expand. Franchise. Or reserve the remaining plots for national honours...

...and remove the question entirely.

Make every single internment there a matter of national debate.

Alternately expand the premises, or build a new tradition around a new national cemetary. Sadly, Stanton Island looks ideal, given your national track record of the past half century or so.

[lynne]

4. I agree with Arlington Cemetery on this decision. There were many, many -

- South Vietnamese and Hmong soldiers that bravely fought alongside the United States during the war. However, they lack the one qualification that would allow them to be placed into Arlington - they were not members of the U.S. Military.

If we allow this one, how do we not allow the others?

[Historic NY]

5. Arlington is for US soldiers, foreign military burials has been discontinued long ago

[HankyDubs]

7. Vang Pao

http://www.suite101.com/content/vang-paos-wouldbe-coup-a26835

Wanted to stage a bloody coup in Laos in the final years of his life.

There isn't any question that he was a leader in the Hmong-American exile community, and that he and his people sacrificed far more than the average American GI. I'm not upset that he is being denied a place in Arlington, though.