Fred Phelps To Be Buried In Arlington National Cemetery
ARLINGTON — Fred Phelps, a retired Army command sergeant major and founder of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, officials confirmed Friday.
"As a soldier who served the Army when his country called, Sgt. Maj. Phelps served our nation honorably and deserves to be buried in peace," said Ian Wilson, an Arlington spokesman, in a written statement.
Phelps died of complications from AIDS on Wednesday at 11:15 p.m., according to a church spokesman. He was 84.
While known for his leadership of the Topeka-based church which often protested military funerals, many Americans were unaware of Phelps' many years of service in the U.S. Army.
As war broke out in the Korean peninsula in 1950, then-21-year-old Phelps enlisted in the Army as a private, fighting in the Battles of Inchon and Unsan. Later joining the U.S. 1st Infantry Division as a combat replacement, Phelps distinguished himself in the liberation of Seoul with h…
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