ALBERT E. RAIRIGH FUNERAL HOME, Hon. JOHN P. SAYLOR, DEAR CONGRESSMAN SAYLOR: I am pleased to submit the following information concerning funeral costs for servicemen killed in action. I sincerely hope this data will present an insight to a definite problem. I was called upon to serve a wife and family whose serviceman had been killed in Viet Nam on November 24, 1965. It was the request of the wife and family that his body lie in state at the funeral home for two days prior to the funeral service. Our operating costs for this complete funeral including two days of visitation and the funeral service is $175.00. Incidentally this figure is the amount recommended by the Federated Funeral Directors of America, of which I am a member. The vault chosen by the family sold for a sum of $130.00. Aditional cost items were: transporting the remains from the Greater Pittsburgh Airport (160 mile round trip) $25.00; opening the grave $50.00; services of two buglers (requested by Army) $10.00; and honorarium for the minister $15.00. The complete services provided for this family cost $405.00. The United States Government provided $200.00, leaving a deficit of $205.00 to be paid by the serviceman's family. I might add that the above information was based on 1965 operative overhead costs that have increased approximately $22.00 since 1965. I will be pleased to provide any further information or assistance at any time. Sincerely, Hon. OLIN E. TEAGUE, ALBERT E. RAIRIGH. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C., February 1, 1968. DEAR OLIN: Since the subject of veteran burials will soon receive the attention of the Committee, I am enclosing several solicited letters from funeral directors in my District which the staff may want to study for background information and material. Representative 22d Pennsylvania Congressional District, Washington, D.C. DEAR JOHN: I am sorry not to have replied to your letter sooner but with business, Y.M.C.A. drives, etc. this has been my first opportunity to do so. So many things are involved that I find it difficult to condense them in a manner you and your colleagues may understand. With regard to your second paragraph line the word "difficult", should be replaced with the word "impossible". We have had occasion to service the families of 2 boys who were killed in Viet Nam. I am enclosing copies of their invoices for your study. Some of your fellow members may take exception to certain items, that they may feel were not needed, such as a burial vault. In this respect, families in this community are compelled to use them even if they don't want it. It is a cemetery regulation with which they must comply. For example, an orthodox Jew believes that they should return to the "dust" from where they came as soon as possible. That is the main reason they use a low priced wooden casket, no rough box (in their own cemeteries) so that decomposition is hastened. But in our local cemeteries, religion is of no consequence, and a vault must be used. They are getting and paying for preservation they do not want. Certain items must be furnished to make a layout complete, such as ferns, etc. The cost of opening a grave in our area is $85.00. We must rent a funeral coach the rate which is based on mileage. $25.00 is the least we can rent a coach for a service. Tent service must be used to comply with cemetery regulations. This is a $15.00 item. Many people believe that obituary notices are free. At present, we make a flat $10.00 fee for all. Some may cost $7.00 while others $12.00 or more. We have been using $10.00 as an average. This we are going to have to change. As of January 1, 1968 we received notice from our local newspaper that our new obituary rate would be 371⁄2¢ for the 1st six lines, and 371⁄2¢ for each additional line. This represents an increase of almost 100%. We also furnish a car for the minister and acknowledgment cards for which there is no charge. When the burial is of Catholic faith we must also include the mass, the least expensive being $25.00. I don't know what the answer is John, but I am sure the $300.00 present allowance is peanuts. I also would like to inform you that in larger cities such as New York where the Profession is unionized, they must hire professional Pall-Bearers, Automobiles with union drivers must be hired and used so their bills would be considerably larger. Most Funeral Directors in this Country are honest and fair and perhaps feel a little as I do. Meaning, that being a 5 year veteran of WW#2 myself, having seen action, hold 2 Bronze Star medals, I do not want to realize 10¢ profit from the burial of a Boy who gave his life for his country. That is a policy I have established with this firm and that policy will remain as such, as long as I am here. All we want is our expenses. I don't know the answer John, but perhaps it may be best not to put a ceiling on the cost of the burial. I recall that when we buried "Bob" Coffey, there was no ceiling, but we were informed just to send the bill to the House of Representatives. By this time I know you are thoroughly confused, so drop me a line if you need help in becoming untracked. I do hope I have been of some help, and don't hesitate to call on me for any other facts or figures. The best of luck to you and your committee. Sincerely, Enclosures. RONALD D. PICKING. John P. McGill, Johnstown, Pa., May 25–June 8, 1967 For the funeral of 2d Lt. James Barry McGill: To professional service, funeral coach, fern decoration, obituary notice, tent $260 To cash expenditures: Accommodation items concrete burial vault $140, grave opening and closing $85, lot No. 578, Overbrook No. 1, Grandview Cemetery, $323-- 548 To cash expenditures: Extra items, Father Joseph O'Toole $25, transportation from railroad, $15. 40 Total invoice_‒‒‒‒‒ 848 Professional service charges on this account were $200. Reed M. May, Sr., Johnstown, Pa., Aug. 29–Sept. 13, 1967 For the funeral of Lance Corporal Reed M. May, Jr.: To professional service, funeral coach, fern decoration, obituary notice, organist, tent and device__. $260 To cash expenditures: Accommodation items concrete burial vault $140, grave opening and closing $70, lot 325, section E, Richland Cemetery, $200-- 410 Total invoice____ Professional service charges on this account were $197.50. 670 Congressman JOHN P. SAYLOR, Washington, D.C. LILLY, PA., January 26, 1968. DEAR SIR: I have enclosed a bill which I have to render a family of any serviceman killed in action. I hope this information will be of some help to you. I am sorry to be answering your letter so late, I have been on vacation for two weeks. In regards to your inquiry on cost of burial of servicemen killed in action, lets start with the cemetery cost; most parents will buy a family plot, because they don't want their son to be buried in a single grave lot and lay alone in another part of the cemetery, they try to keep the family together: cost $265.00 and up, to open the grave $85.00 and up, in our area most cemeteries insist of a cave proof container or vault cost $75.00 to $150.00, so you see there is over $400.00 spent already. Now the mortician; he will have to be paid for the use of his funeral home, his employes and his services, the use of a hearse and limousine, the cost of the obituary notices in newspapers, and clergy offerings. Most families are not satisfied with the grave monument that the government provides, so they spend another few hundreds of dollars, so you see John, this thing can really sky-rocket. John, this will be a solution that will be a great help, most servicemen are young boys just out of school, some may have worked and paid into social security, but not enough to be entitled to any benefits, so a serviceman KIA, his next of kin should be paid the lump sum of $255.00 even though he paid into social security or not, so this and the government allowance will be enough to make ends meet. I hope this information will be of some help. If you are in town soon, look me up and I can tell you and explain to you in more detail of this problem. Truly yours, Hon. JOHN P. SAYLOR, F. J. PENTRACK. EUGENE F. SMITH FUNERAL HOME, Congressman, 22d District, Pennsylvania, Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. SAYLOR: Your letter of January 15, 1968 is before me. I am pleased and complimented that I might offer some information that my be of some help in the development of Legislation regarding funeral costs for servicemen killed in action. Basically, I think it can be said that all funeral directors of good reputation want to do their part in serving families who experience a loss of this kind. The majority of Funeral Directors are of good reputation. The allowance provided by the Federal Government, excluding transportation costs paid to the Funeral Director direct, for a serviceman returned home to be interred in a family plot, I believe is $300.00. This sum then, must absorb all expenses of burial, including the purchase of a burial vault (outside container), if they choose to use a vault. This item alone can generally cost from $100.00 up to any sum, depending upon the kind and quality of vault used. Families usually select what they can afford, but generally the amount used would be approximately $200.00. This means there is only $100.00 left for use of funeral home and facilities and any charge the Funeral Director wishes to make for Professional and Staff services. Actually what we are discussing here is referred to as Operatting Costs. You know and I know what has happened here in the last ten years. The end result is our present need to study and resolve a perplexing situation. To answer your question concerning my own personal experience in this area, I can only say, "thank God" no one from Reynoldsville has been killed in action in the VietNam war, but if I should be called upon to render a service of this kind, I too would find it difficult to limit the costs of my service to a family to $300.00 and provide a vault of the kind and quality to match the kind an quality of casket used, which is a selection of the United States Government. In addition, what we are talking about is Professional and Staff services and funeral home facilities of the same quality and kind. A family generally wants to receive friends in the funeral home for at least one afternoon and evening, but for the most part they want two evenings. In general these deaths create a large amount of community interest, this compounds the responsibility of the Funeral Director and the use of his funeral home and facilities. His operating costs are really higher in a funeral service of this type than any other average citizen. Since the Funeral Director is desirous of preserving his good image, he cannot limit his service in any way regardless of the limits placed upon him and the family by the allowance of $300.00. Therefore it can be assumed that families will say "I want this and that kind of a vault on this and that kind of a service", we will pay any difference. In addition to the Professional and Staff Services, Cost of Vault, Funeral Home facilities, there is also cemetery expense to be considered. Costs of opening and closing a grave and canopy at the grave. This varies, but again a good average is $75.00 for opening and closing a grave and $25.00 for a Canopy at the grave. In summation, I would like to conclude, that a matter of this kind does require much time and study, but I would opine that the present $300.00 allowance is insufficient to cover all final costs of interment in a family plot (especially if grave space is to be purchased). We must also conclude that since our Federal Government has established standards of living, that people in general follow these standards in the burial of the dead. Our standard of living, we all know is higher today than ever in our history. The Funeral Director's problem is to maintain these standards and the costs related thereto. This is something over which he has little control. Again I wish to thank you for your letter and this opportunity of expression. I shall express your concern and responsibility to my fellow Funeral Directors. Yours very sincerely, EUGENE F. SMITH, President, Jefferson-Clearfield County Funeral Directors Association. Hon. JOHN P. SAYLOR: LYNCH FUNERAL HOME, Cresson, Pa., January 20, 1968. Information furnished are costs to me and the ($300.00) allowable are not enough to take care of a ship-in Government funeral. It takes more of the Funeral Directors time more help and the people just want more attention. Sincerely, JOHN W. LYNCH. DEAR CONGRESSMAN SAYLOR: In answer to your letter of January 15, 1968 relative to the Funeral costs of servicemen killed in action, we in our immediate area have been fortunate as we have not had a fatality of one serving in Vietnam. It is my understanding that the Federal Government makes an allowance of $300.00 to the family in addition to furnishing the Casket and transportation. It is my belief that this sum of $300.00 does not adequately cover to-day's costs for the family. In our area, which is a rural area, the average other expenses the family of a serviceman killed in action must pay would be: These average expenses total $250.00 which would leave $50.00 to cover the personal services of the Funeral Director and does not leave any amount for a Steel or Concrete Vault which is required in a number of cemeteries to-day. And in some metropolitan areas the average costs I have listed above would be much higher. Also a family would incur other personal expenses at such a time, such as memorials and flowers etc. I personally feel that an allotment of at least $500.00 would be considered for the family of a serviceman killed in action. Very truly yours, BERNARD J. FALLER. |