Military Funeral

arnhem44

As time is passing so are the remaining Veterans of the Great War,only lately Henry Allingham (Royal Naval Air Service) and Harry Patch (Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry) passed away.As far as I'm aware there are now only two veterans from all countries left living,one in America and one in Australia,my question is should the last veteran from any country be honoured with a military funeral or should they be honoured the same as all the others who have passed before them?

Manic Moran

The American one is entitled to a military funeral whether he's last or not. As long as you served honourably, you (or your family) can request that the Army show up. You don't have to have spent any particular length of time, in a war, or done anything special, just served.

NTM

arnhem44

What I mean is more on a grand scale as say a national funeral,should a veteran be treated any differently to any soldiers who have passed away before him just because he's the last or should he be given a military funeral on a grand scale out of respect for what that generation done and sacrificed,say on a scale of the unknown soldier in Britain.

GA361

Well given the tremendous sacrifice these men made for pretty much all of us,I think that it would indeed be in order.A fond farewell to the last.

Morlar

Manic Moran wrote: »

The American one is entitled to a military funeral whether he's last or not. As long as you served honourably, you (or your family) can request that the Army show up. You don't have to have spent any particular length of time, in a war, or done anything special, just served.

NTM

That seems to be a sensible approach, give families the option and let them decide.

arnhem44

I'd be inclined to agree with GA361 on this,I think a last surviving veteran deserves a state funeral although with the permission from there family