While watching the news this morning, I heard a quick piece about family members of those killed in the Pentagon requesting that their loved ones be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I am looking for a link, but all I could come up with was this regarding the burial of uniformed personnel killed.
What do you guys think? Should those civilian Pentagon workers killed in the attack be given the honor of burial at Arlington?
I am inclined to say no. This cemetery was intended as a burial ground for veterans of war. Also, space at Arlington is limited, and an exception made here may open the door for other petitions. However, there are civilians buried at Arlington. The wife of Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist is buried there. An actress who was married to a Brigadier General is there. Boxing champion Joe Louis is there.
Not only are there notable citizens (or notable by proxy), there are also victims of terrorist attacks buried at Arlington. So it would seem unfair to disallow places to victims of this terrorist attack.
I don’t know. What do you think?
A list of prominent citizens buried at Arlington National Cemetery can be found here.