American Military News by Angie Jackson 1/14/2020
Army Pfc. Robert Fletcher restarted his life in Ann Arbor after the Korean War, the trauma of combat and captivity never far from his mind.
He’d survived nearly three years of extreme hunger, freezing temperatures and psychological abuse as a prisoner of war in Camp No. 5 along the banks of the Yalu River that divides China and North Korea.
Back home, Fletcher’s harrowing experience manifested itself as a myriad of health problems and severe PTSD that cropped up daily until his death at age 85.
And so it shocked his family to learn he wouldn’t be afforded full military honors when laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in 2018.
The daughter waged a 20-month campaign to convince Congress to change the policy, resulting in a recent amendment with the potential to affect thousands of enlisted veterans across the country.
All former POWs and Medal of Honor recipients can now receive full military funeral honors at Arlington, regardless of their rank. The measure was included in the National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Donald Trump on Dec. 20.
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/01/how-a-daughters-fight-won-full-honor-burials-for-pows-medal-of-honor-recipients/
