The military’s burial policy: Too inflexible, or reasonable?
Kurt Zwilling is a military veteran who wants to be buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery when he dies. Specifically, he wants to be buried next to his son, Gunnar, who was killed in action on July 13.
Gunnar, 20, a corporal, was single.
The military has told his father Kurt that they cannot reserve a spot for him at Jefferson Barracks. Those spaces can be reserved only for spouses. “We assign gravesites at the time of need. We don’t make reservations for the future,” administration spokesman Michael Nacincik said from Washington today.
People change their minds later, the government says. They may think they want to be buried in one spot now, and change their plans later.
Says Kurt Zwilling: “I’ve given up a lot for this country. I want to be next to my son. I feel that’s the least they could do.”
Should the military bend its policy? Or stand firm?
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
It sounds like a reasonable request to me, but I think the same practice they use for spouses should apply. Spouses are buried in the same plot, one casket placed on top of the other. For the emotional, it would meet the needs of a veteran who loves his son. For the practical, it would save a spot for a deserving veteran in a cemetary that is quickly running out of space.
I didn’t even know that spouses were buried there. I don’t think that any non veteran should be buried in a military cemetery.
JB FOR ME IS A FAMILY CEMETERY.I HAVE A GRANDFATHER,SISTER,BROTHER INLAW, PARENTS AND BEST FRIEND ALL BURIED THERE. EACH OF THESE PEOPLE ARE BURIED IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CEMETARY. THIS IS A MILITARY CEMETARY AND MILITARY IS A FAMILY. AT SOME POINT MY HUSBAND AND I COULD BE THERE ALSO. WHEN ARRANGEMENTS ARE FIRST MADE IT IS UNDERSTOOD VERY CLEARLY YOU CAN NOT REQUEST A PLACE FOR THAT PERSON OR ANY OTHERS. WHILE THIS MAYBE DIFFICULT FOR THE PERSON MAKING ARRANGEMENTS IT IS ALSO THE SAME AS THIS MILITARY MEMBER HAS EXPERIENCED DURING THEIR SERVICE TIME–REQUESTS ARE FEW, AND TAKE WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN–RULES ARE TO BE FOLLOWED NO QUESTIONS! IF YOU CHOOSE TO BURIED IN A NATIONAL CEMETARY YOU HAVE SAID YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF YOUR MILITARY TIME. LIKE IT OR CHOOSE A PUBLIC CEMETERY AND PAY FOR THE FAMILY PLOT!
There is no doubt that Mr. Zwilling deserves the bests burial. He is one of many who have served this country with PRIDE and HONOR. The cemetery is full of men and women who have served honorably. Although, I’m sure that Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery will do all that they can in order to bury him either beside his son or near his son and still follow the policies and proceedures that have been in place for many years. Even though I feel for Mr. Zwilling and I hear what he is saying, each and every Headstone at Jefferson Barracks represents a Veteran’s story, a situation, a Veteran mother, father, son and/or daughter that has served their country honorable and while each one has their own story, if it is policy for one…it has to be policy for all. I wish the best for Mr. Zwilling. God Bless and Semper Fi
These soldiers have served Israel’s goals well. They paid their price for being white and the jewish vampires will continue sucking blood from the white race. Nothing will stop the jewish supremacists from their goal of world domination this time.
DEBBIE! I BELIEVE YOUR CAPS LOCK BUTTON IS ON!!!!
While I understand Kurt’s desire, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the VA to be able to manage requests like this. How can we expect the VA to arrange for the proper placement of deceased veterans when they can’t even properly take care of the veterans who are alive? They are underfunded and understaffed.
Once the democrats take office, they’ll take away even more VA/military funding and give it to lazy people who won’t work.
The policy should be reviewed. Since so many of those killed are so very young, many have not married. The relationship between parent and child is an indescribably close one - why should this young man be buried alone?
Every parent who experiences the death of a child enters a realm of pain unlike any other–more deeply felt than any other known feeling of isolation, aloneness and despair. It seems simple enough to me to accommodate special requests to offer special comfort, encouragement and hope during the remaining days of a parent’s life. How much of an inconvenience does this represent? In Kurt’s case, both the son and the dad will ultimately each occupy a separate lot in the cemetery. If after burying the son, the cemetery administration could simply skip a space before burying the next guy, allowing the dad to be buried in the void when the time comes. It wouldn’t take much effort to orchestrate this effort…..and the dad could live out his life knowing that the premature separation he now experiences is somewhat short-lived.
Can you think of the nightmare of trying to take all the requests from veterans who want to be buried next to their other veteran relatives? Plotting these out while planning future burials would seem to be an enormous undertaking. I can understand the emotions regarding being buried next to your son, but really, when you’re dead do you think it matters? I hope that I’m not hovering around my tombstone after I’m dead, chatting with the rest of the dead around me. If that currently is the case, my whole Christian belief system is in trouble.
As a 20 year Navy veteran who continues to serve as a DOD contractor I don’t see a problem with burying him in place of the (non-existent) spouse on top of his son. The son was single. Who else would occupy that space? No one. I think the JB adminstrator could do some legwork with the Feds to accomodate this man as a veteran. I agree with Marilyn Garrison that I would not recommend this for anyone but a veteran. Seems the situation is fairly unique and would not incite a rash of other requests.