Get Marty: Family's Quest To Bury Navy Veteran At Sea
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The family of a deceased Navy Veteran caught up in a horrible bureaucratic nightmare reached out to KDKA to "Get Marty."
Cheryl Beeman served in the Navy for 15 years. Her wish was to be buried at sea.
"She loved the ocean. She always loved the ocean. She wanted to be buried at sea," says her son, Bob.
As it turns out, Navy Police allows for burial at sea. In fact, the Navy suggests the ceremony at sea should take place within a few months of the death of a Navy veteran.
Well, after waiting for nearly a year-and-a-half for the Navy to allow for the burial at sea of Cheryl Beeman, family friends reached out to Marty Griffin.
"A bunch of friends told us to Get Marty," says next door neighbor and Beeman family friend Joe Wiesniewski.
Wiesniewski, who is also a Navy veteran, was angry about the lack of response from the Navy when he asked questions about Cheryl Beeman's burial at sea.
"I consider her a shipmate. When you're in the Navy, you're on a team. We help one another," says Wiesniewski.
Griffin reached out to the Navy and reached out to Congressman Tim Murphy.
"If it was her wish to be buried at sea, then that's what she should get," says Congressman Murphy.
Within days, we found out Beeman's service has been cancelled at least twice.
Congressman Murphy also told us it got caught up in red tape.
KDKA just learned through our efforts that Beeman will now be buried at sea within the next week or so.
The Navy veteran's body will be transported to Virginia Feb. 10. Beeman will be buried at sea shortly thereafter.
"I am so thankful for your efforts," says a teary-eyed Bob Beeman.
Meanwhile, our investigation has turned up a significant number of families in the same predicament.
We are trying to determine if the Navy will streamline policy and procedure so folks don't have to wait more than a year to have a loved one buried at sea.
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