Secretary Of The Army, Congress Intervened To Make Burial Possible

Army Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich III received a burial with full military honors Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery. The Louisiana Army National Guardsman was one of those fatally injured in June when the helicopter he was aboard went down in the Gulf of Mexico on a training mission. Ten other troops were also fatally injured in the accident.

The Department of Defense had initially refused the request for burial at Arlington, where space is dwindling, because he was on active duty only for training at the time of the accident. But under pressure from his family and members of Congress, Secretary of the Army John McHugh approved an exception to the policy, clearing the way for the burial.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the interment was attended by Rep. Ralph Abraham, (R-LA-5), who attended the funeral with Rep. Garret Graves, (R-LA-6). "Sergeant Florich was a hero who died in service to our nation, and he deserved a hero's burial at Arlington National Cemetery," Abraham said. "Hopefully today's funeral can bring some closure to his family and loved ones as they continue to mourn his passing. I keep the families of Staff Sgt. Florich and the 10 other service members who died during this exercise in my prayers."

"Every once in awhile -- with enough urging -- the government gets something right," Graves said. "It was a privilege to join the Florich family, the Louisiana National Guard and a host of others today to honor Staff Sgt. Florich's life and to give him the burial he deserved for giving the ultimate sacrifice for our country."

(Image of Sgt. Florich from file)

FMI: www.army.mil