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WWII vet Andrew Haines gets his Viking funeral

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Jonn Lilyea

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Viking Funeral

The Washington Times reports that the Coast Guard acquiesced to the final wishes of Norwegian immigrant and World War II veteran, Andrew Haines and let the 89-year-old have his Viking funeral on the New Jersey coast when he passed on of natural causes more than a month ago;

“Oh, I was thrilled,” Mr. Haines’ son Andy told Navy Times on Thursday. “I was thrilled when the Coast Guard called and told me we were doing it [his] way.”

[…]

“Burial at sea is not that uncommon. We probably do about seven a year just at Atlantic City,” Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Christopher Fonseca, Atlantic City’s operations officer, told Navy Times. He added that he had never conducted a burial quite like the one Mr. Haines had in mind.

Comments

19 responses to “WWII vet Andrew Haines gets his Viking funeral”

  1. Susan

    This is my idea of the perfect funeral. Then a big party after.

  2. CATM

    This is what I would like when I pass. My family thinks otherwise though.

  3. AW1 Tim

    The US Navy will still conduct a burial at sea for any honorably discharged veteran, regardless of the branch of service.

    Info here:

    http://www.navy.mil/navydata/questions/burial.html

    1. AW1Ed

      My Dad’s ashes were scattered over the Atlantic by a Wing-5 P-3. I knew three of the crew from my VP-23 tour there.

      I have a statement in my will expressing my desire for the same for me.

      1. AW1 Tim

        I’d love to have one of the VP-10 birds do the same for me, but they’re all down to Jax nowadays.

        We’ll see how it all works out. 🙂

  4. Eggs

    I should look into this for when I go. I won’t take up any real estate, and the sea critters can get revenge for all of their family members I’ve been scarfing down all these years.

  5. rgr1480

    Great job, Coast Guard!!

    Reminds me of the 1988 Burt Lancaster movie, “Rocket Gibralta.” The family patriarch gets the viking funeral he wished for, courtesy of his grandchildren. Nice movie.

  6. Ex-PH2

    This is why Wagner wrote ‘Siegried’s Funeral March’.

  7. Farflung Wanderer

    Odin better brace himself: There’s an American marching on Valhalla.

  8. MCPO NYC USN Ret.

    Outstanding. BZ USCG!

  9. Sparks

    Now that’s a different flavor of funeral but to each his own. I am glad the old warrior got his wish. Way to go Coast Guard!

  10. Sapper3307

    Combine that with a Irish funeral and it looks like a good time.

    1. rgr1480

      “… wi’ a bottle o’ whiskey at his feet and a bottle o’ porter by his head …”

      One morning Tim was rather full;
      His head felt heavy, which made him shake.
      He fell from a ladder and he broke his skull
      And they carried him home, his corpse to wake.
      They rolled him up in a nice, clean sheet
      and laid him out upon the bed
      With a bottle of whiskey at his feet
      And a barrel of porter at his head.

      ex “Finnegan’s Wake”
      Clancy Brothers

  11. jonp

    The coolness of this is off the scale. Good for him and The Coast Guard.

    My wife wants to build a wooden raft, put me on it and soak it with diesel then float it into the pond at my hunting camp then lob flaming arrows into it.

    1. cato

      My wife wishes the same for me, but she isn’t prepared to wait until I die. 🙂

      1. Sapper3307

        My wife wants to right now.

  12. W2

    Semper Potatoes! Great job Coasties.

  13. Green Thumb

    Way to go Coast Guard.

  14. T-Bird Henry

    BRAVO ZULU to both Mr. Haines and the USCG! Thank you again sir for your service to our nation I pray we may be worthy.

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