WENDELL A. WELCH FUNERAL HOME, Hon. JOHN P. SAYLOR, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR SIR: In answer of your letter of Jan. 15 in regard to funeral costs of servicemen killed in action. Have not had a serviceman killed in action for so long that I am not sure what the government pays but I do have a schedule of prices that we use in ship-ins. (bodies in caskets): $25.00 for removal from Pittsburg to Ford City, Air or train. $200.00 for use of chapel for one evening with the services held the next day. $261.00 for use of chapel for two evenings with services held next day. $35.00 canopy at grave. (Canopy included in price if family uses a vault.) Opening and closing grave in local cemeteries now varied from $60.00 to $70.00. Hope this will help you. Yours truly, WENDELL A. WELCH. STEPHEN J. CONWAY FUNERAL HOME, Congressman JOHN P. SAYLOR, DEAR MR. SAYLOR: Re your letter of January 15, 1968 regarding the allowance made by the Federal Government for the burial of servicemen killed in action. I emphatically claim that the Government is more than generous. I enclose a typical recent bill submitted by me to a local family, as substantiation of my claim. In fairness to other parts of our country, I call to your attention that I speak of "God Bless It and Hurrah for Johnstown, Pa.” If I were to suggest a change in the Government attitude on allowable limits, it would be to take the Funeral Director out of the Cemetery business. Let the Cemeteries do their own billing, as in truth they should. In this manner the metropolitan Funeral Director would not be "squeezed" in contrast to the rural Funeral Director. As an example; Johnstown cemeteries charges for opening a grave range from $50.00 at St. Johns to $85.00 at Grandview. Also the cemeteriesjustifiably in my opinion-require a crush proof container simply to reduce their maintenance. This is not to be misconstrued as requiring a vault, there is a crypt built to bear 21 tons, the earth load, locally, ranges from 6.6 tons to 7.2 tons. The tent service has become really an essential item; therefore, locally, the cemetery charges would come to opening $50.00 tent $22.50, Crypt $75.00 for a minimum total of $147.50. I'm crtain that this is a much lower figure than N.Y.C., Phila. etc. Following this thinking I would then suggest the F.D.'s allowance be reduced by a justifiable figure of at least $85.00-$100.00. In summation, I repeat, I feel adequately compensated under the present set up but feel I am at the mercy of the cemetery in the event they raise. Grandview was $21.50 for an opening as recently as 1950. I send my best personal regards, thank you for including me in the group you are surveying and would be most happy to expand on the problem if you so desire. Respectfully, STEPHEN J. CONWAY, Jr. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. MY DEAR MR. SAYLOR: Thank you for your letter of January 15th. I am glad to see interest is developing to increase cost of Veteran Burials. As early as September 1966, I could see a hardship for families in this category. I cite this example. I received a remains from Viet Nam through a Chester, Pa. Funeral Home and the costs at this end were $446.96, this was rock-bottom so to speak. An itemized broken down statement showed: Newspaper notices (5 newspapers). 1 Cut one-half, as funeral coach rental cost me $45 with man. $150.00 175.00 30.00 50.00 20.00 1.96 20.00 I do not know what the Funeral Director charged for his Services at Chester, Pa. but he had a 2 day lay-out, Transportation, Restorative work on body, flowers, etc. We will assume he received $200.00 for his services, this would total $646.96 (2 Homes) and as the law now stands the allowable sum is $300.00. I would believe this would create a hardship on this particular family. My $150.00 charge included a two day lay-out, 200 printed Memorial Folders, Metal Grave Marker, Fresh Flowers, Directing the funeral, 2 assistants, traveling 40 miles to P.R.R. Station at Altoona, Pa. with help for removal and Interment 10 miles away. As a former Veteran of World War II, I am glad to help a family out by meeting my costs only in burying one of their loved ones, however, you can see by this breakdown that the allowance is not enough to cover even-COST. I also realize this example is a two Funeral Home involvement but we will assume the body came directly to this Home, the amount over the Government allowance would still have been 146.96 and we would realize very little financially. I would almost think other Funeral Directors have been confronted with the same problem. I hope this will be a convincing fact for speedy action to clarify this situation. As a matter of information, I should like you to read an enclosed statement which is self-explanatory regarding an Ambulance situation which has developed here concerning Assistance cases and was handed to me this A.M. by the addressee. It would seem to me Volunteer help assisting someone who is ill in a non-profit Ambulance setup is of value to a Community but how in the world can it keep in operation if things such as the enclosed continue. The very maximum they would be paying would be like a donation $10.00, and this would only be a help towards wear and tear on the Ambulance. I believe that letter "T" is a hazard to any non-profit organization. I hope I have been of some assistance to you in your endeavor. 1 MELVIN C. GWIN. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, Re Adams, Elizabeth; case No. 60962-TA. Mr. EDWIN W. BUZARD, Secretary, Cherry Tree Volunteer Fire Co. Ambulance Service, Cherry Tree, Pa. DEAR MR. BUZARD: The attached invoice covering ambulance service provided to Mrs. Adams on October 25, 1967 is being returned as non-compensable. Mrs. Adams has a green Medical Assistance Identification Card, which does not cover ambulance service. At the present time any number showing the letter T is not eligible for payment of ambulance service. Very truly yours, ELIZABETH ADAMS, Barnesboro, Pa. (Care of Department of Public Assistance). Ambulance Service October 25th, 9:15 A.M. From Home, One mile north of Emeigh to Miners Hospital in Spangler, Pa. Dr. Devorchak. 8 Miles at .70¢ per mile, $5.60. Hon. JOHN P. SAYLOR, EDWIN W. BUZARD, Secretary. ROY W. CARSON FUNERAL HOME, House of Representatives, Washington, D.O. DEAR MR. SAYLOR: In regards to your letter for funeral costs of servicemen killed in action. I find the following to be true, as I conducted a funeral two weeks ago: The cost to a family of an average concrete vault and tent service in our area is $180.00. The average cost of grave opening and closing in our area is $65.00. This leaves $55.00 for Professional Service, use of the Funeral Home for 2 days, funeral coach, flower car, lead car, register book, acknowledgement cards, phone calls, paper notices, etc., which is not enough. I am sure you will realize the cost in this area is not as high as in some sections of the country. I hope this bit of information will be of some help to you and your committee. Sincerely, ROY W. CARSON, Hon. JOHN P. SAYLOR, DONALD S. BOWSER FUNERAL HOME, DEAR JOHN: I have only had one soldier to bury of the Vietnam war but I would say it is impossible to keep funeral costs with in the allowable limits paid by the government and the county. I will break down the average costs of a soldier whose remains the government send me. Your truly, D. S. BowSER. Transportation of remains from Pittsburgh or Johnstown to Plumville, Pa. $50 Use of funeral home etc., professional services-----. Burial space (average) – Grave opening (average). Tent service___ Hearse day of services__ Total cost____ Burial allowance by Government-- Burial allowance by county commissioners....... Total allowances__ 375 Re servicemen's funeral expenses. Congressman JOHN P. SAYLOR, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. THE DAVIS FUNERAL HOME, Conemaugh, Pa., February 13, 1968. DEAR JOHN: In a recent letter to us, you requested us to send you any information which might help you in your Committee's study on funeral costs for servicemen killed in action. The following is a list of expenses incurred at our funeral home for anyone : 1 Includes use of funeral home, funeral services, having stone or plaque erected on grave, filling out and filing all necessary papers and forms (Government forms, insurance papers, social security). If body is shipped by air, Allegheny Airlines cannot do this service so we must drive to Pittsburgh Airport. This involves extra expense. The casket is shipped in a shipping case which will not fit in any station wagons that we have for pickups. Therefore we must hire a hearse to bring both the case and the body back to Conemaugh. We have found the Pittsburgh Airport employees uncooperative in that they will not help to carry the body to the hearse, nor will they accept the shipping case to destroy it for us. This means that our own man and another must be hired to go along to lift the casket and load it into the hearse. The hearse is rented at fifty cents per mile and the airport is 96 miles from Conemaugh. John, these are our service charges, and remember that we are in the outskirts so our prices will not come near Henderson, Conway and Picking. If we can be of further help to you, please feel free to call on us. Sincerely, CARL ESTUS DAVIS. Mr. DORN. In line with the request of Congressman Teague, who had to leave the meeting to attend a meeting of the Rules Committee, a list of pending bills, a copy of the chairman's letter to those Members of Congress whose bills are under consideration in these hearings, and statements and letters received in response to that letter will be included in the hearings. (The material referred to follows:) Hon. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON VETERAN'S AFFAIRS, Washington, D.C., March 8, 1968. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR COLLEAGUE: Since you have a bill related to National Cemeteries pending before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I wanted to let you know that the committee is beginning hearings on this subject on March 26th. It will be the purpose of these hearings to report out legislation necessary to consolidate cemetery and burial benefits under the administration of the Veterans Administration. After this is accomplished, the Committee and the Veterans Administration will be in a position to give attention to devising a national program and considering problems of various local cemeteries. Even though these hearings are not concerned at the moment with the specific problem of a local cemetery, if you care to file a written statement with regard to your bill for inclusion in the record, we will be pleased to receive it and this will be of use to us when we begin work on the details of the national plan. Sincerely yours, OLIN E. TEAGUE, Chairman. BILLS PENDING BEFORE SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON CEMETERIES AND BURIAL BENEFITS, COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS |