Warbird Information Exchange

It is not my intention to challenge your opinion here; I'm just throwing these thoughts out here for discussion purposes. I'm not trying to prove one point of view over another....

I am curious as to just how (other than by means of your Hawkeye quote salutation) that you define "hero." Was George H. Bush a "hero" just because he "served" or because he was shot down and survived? Was Joe Kennedy Jr. a "hero" on the other hand just because he died in the service of his country. If that is the case, are ALL men (& women) who die in the service of their country "heroes"?

I am by NO means saying that they are not. I am just trying to understand how YOU define "hero". By way of counterpoint, I would just point out that many people might say that a "hero" is someone who goes "above and beyond" the "call of duty" and those same people might say that what George H. Bush and Joe Kennedy Jr both did was simply their "duty" at that time.

I don't know; did either of them do anything else other than or more "heroic" than the actions mentioned above? Please tell me if they did. Wasn't there some hoopla back when he ran for President that George Bush was, either at the time or maybe even "ever", the youngest naval aviator? I suppose that you could say that it was heroic to sign up "early" at an age when maybe you were not yet expected to serve (wasn't that the story?)

In Joe Kennedy Jr's case, was he a hero because he volunteered for a dangerous mission, or was it even really a dangerous mission? Yeah, something went wrong and he died as a result, but maybe it was more the result of an "accident" more so than because it was a "dangerous mission." Nominally, all he had to do was take-off the airplane, set the power & trim it for cruise, arm the warheads, and then parachute out over friendly territory. Many other combat pilots at the time probably would have given their left one to trade places with him.

It's a common myth that JFK's back problems were caused by the events surrounding the sinking of his PT, but his back problems really began in the late 1930s and were possibly related to steroid use.

It's likely that the problems were exacerbated by the PT-related events. JFK was wearing a back brace in Dallas when he was shot, and there are good arguments that the brace held him upright after Oswald's first shot, permitting the kill shot. However, even if he'd survived Dallas, JFK's health problems (especially Addisons, which was requiring him to take meds that were putting his cholesterol through the ceiling) probably would have resulted him him dying within 10 years or so.

If I may ask, is military service required to be buried at Arlington? I understand Teddy never served.

OK to answer my own question.


From the Arlington Cemetery website


"The persons specified below are eligible for ground burial in Arlington National Cemetery. The last period of active duty of former members of the Armed Forces must have ended honorably. Interment may be casketed or cremated remains.

Any active duty member of the Armed Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only).
Any veteran who is retired from active military service with the Armed Forces.
Any veteran who is retired from the Reserves is eligible upon reaching age 60 and drawing retired pay; and who served a period of active duty (other than for training).
Any former member of the Armed Forces separated honorably prior to October 1, 1949 for medical reasons and who was rated at 30% or greater disabled effective on the day of discharge.
Any former member of the Armed Forces who has been awarded one of the following decorations:
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross (Navy Cross or Air Force Cross)
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Purple Heart
The President of the United States or any former President of the United States.
Any former member of the Armed Forces who served on active duty (other than for training) and who held any of the following positions:
An elective office of the U.S. 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, at the time the person held the position, in 5 USC 5312 or 5313 (Levels I and II of the Executive Schedule).
The chief of a mission who was at any time during his/her tenure classified in Class I under the provisions of Section 411, Act of 13 August 1946, 60 Stat. 1002, as amended (22 USC 866) or as listed in State Department memorandum dated March 21, 1988.
Any former prisoner of war who, while a prisoner of war, served honorably in the active military, naval, or air service, whose last period of military, naval or air service terminated honorably and who died on or after November 30, 1993.
The spouse, widow or widower, minor child, or permanently dependent child, and certain unmarried adult children of any of the above eligible veterans.
The widow or widower of:
a member of the Armed Forces who was lost or buried at sea or officially determined to be missing in action.
a member of the Armed Forces who is interred in a US military cemetery overseas that is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
a member of the Armed Forces who is interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group burial.
The surviving spouse, minor child, or permanently dependent child of any person already buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The parents of a minor child, or permanently dependent child whose remains, based on the eligibility of a parent, are already buried in ANC. A spouse divorced from the primary eligible, or widowed and remarried, is not eligible for interment.
Provided certain conditions are met, a former member of the Armed Forces may be buried in the same grave with a close relative who is already buried and is the primary eligible. "


The way I read it ( assuming the info I have Sen. Kennedy did not serve) he is not eligible for burial at Arlington. Not to open a can of worms, and if Sen Kennedy served I'm wrong, but shouldn't we all follow the rules no matter our last name.

numerous exceptions have been made and probably will be made in the future to this list.

_________________
"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

He served 2 yrs in the army, stationed in Europe, but never advanced higher in rank than private.

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
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