The family of a Louisiana National Guardsman killed in a helicopter crash in the Gulf of Mexico has received approval for the guardsman to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The cemetery originally refused to bury 26-year-old Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich because the burial plots are reserved because of limited space for members who die on active duty.
Florich died on a training mission in a helicopter crash, one of four guardsmen and seven Marines who died in the crash March 10.
People across the country have offered an overwhelming amount of support for getting Florich buried there, his father, Stephen Florich, said. Stephen, a former Army major who resigned when his wife died, finally heard good news Friday.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh said he had approved an exception to the policy that will allow Florich to be buried at Arlington Cemetery.
McHugh noted that while Florich was killed during a training exercise, others who died in the accident were considered to be on active duty and were therefore eligible for burial without an exception to the policy.
That anomaly led McHugh to reverse the earlier decision. Florich's father said they were happy with the decision.
