Federal law states that being buried Veteran’s Cemetery with your son or daughter who has died in war is not allowed. The only people who can be buried with a solider are a spouse or minor children.
Denise Anderson, a local Massachusetts mother, had to bury her 21-year-old son, Cory Shea. He was killed in 2008 while in Iraq. Cory was never married and had no children. Denise asked to be buried with him. She hadn’t known about the federal law.
Denise has enlisted the aid of Congressman Barney Frank in starting a petition to allow her be with her son. Shea was buried in National Veteran’s Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts, and still has three empty plots available to him.
When Denise was interviewed October ninth on NPR, she was asked why she wanted to be buried with him, even after knowing about the law;
“Because he was my only son, and he sacrificed his life for his country. I sacrificed every day getting up without him, without knowing where he is…”
Denise only wants the law to be changed for the parents whose child has died without marrying or having kids. Having this law changed could ease the hearts of parents. “I know he’s with his brothers-in-arms right now, but I want him to be with family," she said. “I don’t want him down there alone."
“The disproportion between what this country owes her and what she is asking is just as large as can be," Frank said. “She lost her son. She has a request that she would rather be buried with him when that day comes. The disproportion can only be embarrassing. I hope we can accommodate this."
Barney Frank is making a bill to try to change that law, and hopefully reunite a mother with her son.
Sources:
http://www.hereandnow.org/
http://www.military.com/
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