Passionate debate: Vets who ‘did nothing heroic’ don’t need military funeral honors

Should all military veterans be given military funeral honors, even if they didn’t serve in a combat zone or fight a war? Bill McClellan, a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch doesn’t think so.

McClellan, a veteran himself, wrote a column criticizing the cost of military funeral honors in a time when government is looking to cut back. Although, it’s difficult to take his comments seriously when sequestration cuts are defunding college education costs for our military, furloughing personnel, and canceling White House tours to save money, but at the same time, the Obama’s have yet to reign in their vacation spending.

While McClellan says that “men and women killed in combat deserve full military honors”, he also points out the honors are more for the families left behind. Then he continues:

But what about the guy who spends a couple of years in the military and then gets on with his life? Bear in mind that most veterans did nothing heroic. They served, and that’s laudable, but it hardly seems necessary to provide them all with military honors after they have died. In fact, it seems generous enough to provide veterans and their spouses with free space and headstones at a national cemetery.

McClellan appeared on the O’Reilly Factor, with guest host Laura Ingraham, Thursday to defend his stance.  Ingraham pointed out such examples as the funding Planned Parenthood’s receives, the study of the sex life of snails, and other superfluous items recently uncovered in the federal budget.

In response, McClellan suggested that the local VFWs cover the cost on a voluntary effort.  Ingraham countered that he knew writing about this issue would be controversial.

The segment on Fox News via Mediaite can be seen here:

Earlier in the evening, the co-hosts of The Five on Fox News also discussed McClellan’s column and his upcoming interview with Ingraham.

Greg Gutfeld said that, not being a veteran, he wasn’t in a position to be entitled to comment, but as long as they “keep creating Taliban military funerals… they should get whatever they want.” When asked his opinion, Bob Beckel said that “for everybody who does heroic acts on the field, behind them there are people who are doing things to get them in the position to do heroic acts.”

See The Five’s debate on the subject here:


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