I disagree. I personally don't like the whole burial vault nonsense. I like green burials like there used to be or cremation. In Boise there are a couple of cemeteries who let you do a green burial. I had a friend who was Indian, he was put in his native outfit (a Canadian tribe who's name excapes me at the moment), wrapped in a blanket, placed in a pine box and buried as per his wants/instructions. I love the building in, I believe, San Francisco (Columbaria?) where all the cremation niches are. What a great way to remember someone. I also love the idea of one space for more than one burial, like a bunk bed. My german ancestors in Bremen still have a final resting place only because family have continued to pay the "rent" on the space. If that stops, the bones are dug up, placed in a building/pile and the space is then rented to another family. I'm not sure I agree with it, but it does save space. I also like the idea of allowing the spouses to be buried together. Here in Boise we have had a few who were buried then the spouse cremated and place on top in the same space after their death. My two cents worth on this fine spring day. :-) Susan Boise, Idaho, USA -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Judie Cook Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2012 2:23 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [NORCAL] Military Burials, who knew? You joke! That is just gross. Some poor veteran in VIrginia was treated that way some years back. There was a huge uproar, as there should have been. Cardboard boxes simply are not acceptable. Judie Cook On Apr 21, 2012, at 4:14 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > Whoever dies first goes in first and the other spouse goes on top. If you are not picky then I would buy a cardboard box and put the individual in it. In 2008 a reinforced cardboard box cost $500. When I buried my father in 1998 the VA put his casket in a cement liner (box) with a removal top. Filled the hole up and put a headstone on top. Ten years later when my mother died the VA removed enough dirt to place another cement liner on top of the first one and put my mother casket (not a cardboard box) in it with a removal top and put the original headstone on top of her liner and then covered the hole with dirt. About a month later the VA installed a new headstone reflecting the burial of both of my parents. As a footnote although rare I have seen graves where children of veterans were also buried in a VA cemetery. This is usually done because the child was a minor when they died. > > > > Eugene