War memorial to offer funerals to state veterans free of charge

he Indiana War Memorial will now provide complimentary funeral services for any Indiana veteran in its 500-seat auditorium.\nThe funerals are available to all Indiana veterans of any war free of charge, said Brig. Gen. J. Stewart Goodwin, executive director of the Indiana War Memorial. The war memorial staff wanted to allow veterans’ families to have their loved one’s funerals in a place where veterans are already honored, he said. \n“Our job is to honor Hoosier veterans,” Goodwin said. “What better way to honor them?”\nAt the moment, no funerals have been held at the memorial, but Goodwin said it is open to funeral arrangements at any time.\nThe memorial staff has notified local funeral homes and veterans’ groups about the new arrangements, Goodwin said. But not everyone agrees the war memorial is the most appropriate place for a funeral.\n“I’m not so sure that’s the best place. Funerals should be done in a mortuary,” said Jon Brinkley, state service provider for the Indiana Veterans Affairs. “Any memorial throughout the country that I know of doesn’t allow funerals to be held there.”\nA representative of the National Parks Service said the government does not allow funerals to be held at any of the memorials or monuments in Washington, D.C. The government is much more strict on memorials if they are held on federal government property opposed to state government property, the representative said. The Indiana War Memorial was built on state property in 1927 and dedicated in 1933, Goodwin said.\nWhen families choose to hold a funeral at the memorial, they are responsible for making arrangements at the cemetery of their choice, Goodwin said. The Indiana War Memorial just provides the building for veterans.\nMore than 400 events a year are held at the memorial, including weddings, birthdays, parties and promotional events, Goodwin said.