PEGRAM, TN (WSMV) –
At veteran cemeteries across Tennessee, family members are being forced to wait a week to bury their loved ones or made to choose new dates.
John Sanders was buried at Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery a year ago, but his family said the process was so difficult it only added to their heartache.
They have now gotten the attention of a U.S. congressman in hopes of making changes for other families.
For Sanders’ little brother Nathaniel Taylor, the memories are fresh.
“He was my only brother,” Taylor said. “He was my big brother. He took me in when I was 13. I lived with him.”
Sanders joined the Army at 18. One of his last wishes was to be buried at Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery.
“He talked about it all the time,” Taylor said. “He was proud that he served for his country. He believed in the VA wholeheartedly. In fact, he wouldn’t go to any other but the VA.”
After his death, Sanders’ family faced a scheduling obstacle because state veteran cemeteries do not bury on weekends.
“When it came down to the end, he was laid out longer than he should have been laid out,” Taylor said. “By not being able to be put to rest directly after the funeral.”
Sanders died on a Wednesday. He was buried nearly a week later, days after his funeral.
“My mom being the age she is, it’s quite a bit of stress on her,” Taylor said. “People were unable to come.”
“No one wants to drag it out. You want it to be complete,” said Taylor’s pastor, Enoch Fuzz.
Fuzz reached out to the office of Congressman Jim Cooper, D-TN, about the matter. It is now being researched.
“Why can’t we accommodate families of our heroes who not only have given their lives to defend our country, but they came back to the communities and they defended communities and have been tremendous assets to the community?” Fuzz said.
Channel 4 learned there is legislation moving through a House subcommittee on the issues of weekend interments.
Federal cemeteries in Tennessee already make accommodations for Saturday and holiday burials, but state cemeteries do not.
“It would be better for family members to attend and say their goodbyes,” Fuzz said.
While the state and federal rules may differ, Taylor said his family would have paid to have the cemetery open for weekend burial.
Cooper’s office has been in contact with Veterans Affairs liaisons.
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Source: NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) Channel 4
Families push for weekend burials at TN veteran cemeteries
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