As far as I know he never served in the millitary, and was never president.
What qualifies him to be buried in Arlington?
Note this is GQ - I’m not asking whether, or why, he might deserve it - only by what rule he is permitted to be burried there.
Arlington Interment Eligibility.
Sen. Kennedy served two years in the army and held elected office in the Federal Government.
From runner pat’s link:
Given the wartime profile of JFK, and the celebrity of the family, I would think this also would give Ted a leg to stand on.
Tripler
But his active military service also gives him the Honor Guard as well.
Ah, thanks. Ignorance fought.
That was the missing fact that I strangely could not find. You would think it would be easier to find out whether he had served.
I was left wondering if it was one of the “close relative” criteria or something.
I thought I read that his burial spot was at some distance from his brothers, so the “close relative” clause wouldn’t have applied.
Nitpick: Kennedy was still in office up until the time of his death. He only became a “former” senator when he died.
And before the question is asked (as it was already asked of me today), Bobby Kennedy was in the Naval Reserve during WWII.
I thought they said 200 ft. away on the radio this morning.
The link above has “… a former member of the Armed Forces may be buried in the same grave with a close relative who is already buried …”
200’ seems to stretch the definition of “same grave”.
No matter. He is already qualified under other requirements.
For all signs I can get, his tour of service was entirely unremarkable and at the end of the minimal enlistment term in the Army at the time he discharged as a PFC. So one can understand why it’s hardly mentioned by many biographies, which may misguidedly want to avoid a contrast to Joe Jr. and John’s records.
The president can waive the requirements and allow people to be buried there such as Joe Louis
He was a veteran but did not meet the normal requirements so Reagan gave him a waiver.
If a moderator would please kindly change “former” to “late”.
he became a late senator. he did not resign or retire from the office.
I heard during the burial commentary that the site that is reserved for the Kennedys is about three acres. The President and Jackie are buried by the eternal flame with two of their infant children – Patrick, who was born while JFK was in office, but lived only a few days, and a girl born in 1956.
About 100 feet away is Robert Kennedy whose grave is marked at the head by a white cross and at the feet by a flat marker.
My understanding is that Teddy’s cross and marker is another one hundred feet from his, but I’m not certain. I do know that the light from the eternal flame cast a very mellow light on the Robert E. Lee home in the background during the playing of “Taps.” That would make a beautiful painting – the reflected light, the soldier, and part of the house in the background.
don’t forget the really nifty lightning. the intra-cloud lightning during the end of the funeral was quite a dramatic statement.
I removed “former” from the thread title. “Late” is implied since we’re talking about where he was buried.
You are quite right, of course. Thanks for the correction.
Minor point but Patrick Kennedy mixed up his Robert Frost poems. I suppose you can forgive a lapse like that because of the circumstances. On the other hand, he was reading a previously written speech.
I don’t think the eternal flame was lighting the Lee house. In the other shots, it didn’t give sufficient light to see the family members standing only a few feet away.
of course, if he should become the zombie senator from ma… that could present a few new questions in many new threads.