Veteran buried with rare ceremony in Sarasota

SARASOTA - An Air Force lieutenant and Korean War veteran was laid to rest Tuesday at the Sarasota National Cemetery in a first-of-its-kind ceremony in Florida. Lieutenant Van Eitel got a full caisson military burial -- the kind that, until now, rarely happened outside of Arlington National Cemetery.

A steady breeze blew across the cemetery Tuesday as 82-year-old Irene Eitel bowed her head. She gave one last gift to her husband Van, who was an Air Force second lieutenant in the Korean War.

It was a full caisson military burial, the first ever in Florida, and one of the few outside Arlington, Virginia, where Ilene and Van used to live.

"And I remember in Arlington, seeing all these beautiful burials, and I thought this would be an honor for my husband," Irene said.

The caisson is steeped in tradition: the wagon that carried munitions and cannon was also used to carry fallen officers off Civil War battlefields.

"It's quite an honor," said Irene. "We were American Legion people all our lives. It's the most remarkable thing I've ever seen."

The caisson was arranged through Hawk's Flight Services. They were already in the business of raising horses near the cemetery.

"When we realized we were so close, we thought this was a great service to be able to offer," said Karin McMurtrie, president of Hawk's Flight Services.

McMurtrie says several more such burials are being scheduled. The military recently relaxed the rules, allowing more veteran's the privilege of a full caisson burial.