One of the last surviving Medal of Honor recipients of World War II was among the 11,000 veterans who received military burial honors by the New York Army and Air National Guard in 2019.
Sgt. Francis S. Currey, of Selkirk, N.Y., was buried Oct. 12, 2019. He was awarded America’s highest decoration for valor for his actions in the Battle of the Bulge. Currey’s burial honors were provided by the New York Army National Guard.
According to his Medal of Honor citation, Currey repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire while knocking out German tanks with a bazooka and rescuing several American soldiers who were pinned down by enemy gunfire. Currey had been assigned to the 30th Infantry Division during the Battle of the Bulge.
The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs says the 2019 burials — expected to be about 11,050 by the end of the year — are slightly less than in the past two years when New York troops provided honors at 11,326 military funerals in 2018 and 11,170 in 2017.
The number of military burials ceremonies conducted by New York Army and Air National Guardsmen have been similar in for the previous two years. The total exceeds that of Arlington National Cemetery, which holds more than 9,000 military funerals each year. The requirements to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery are more stringent, however.
Most of the services involved a pair of New York Army or Air Guardsmen presenting an American flag to the family and playing “Taps” on an electronic bugle, officials said.
Since 2000, federal law has required that any military veteran who wasn’t dishonorably discharged is eligible for military honors at his or her funeral.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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