A former member of the honor guard at a New Jersey veterans cemetery is raising a holy stink over the way the American military is burying its dead – after he was allegedly fired for saying “God bless you” at a funeral.
Patrick Cubbage, a Vietnam vet and a former Philadelphia cop, says that when he started saying “God bless you and this family, and God bless the United States of America” when handing the flag to the deceased’s next kin, fellow honor guard members complained.
He said he was eventually fired from his $16-an-hour job at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery near McGuire Air Force Base when his supervisor overheard him use the phrase at an October funeral.
“I said, ‘You’re firing me for saying God bless the United States of America,'” Cubbage said. “He said, ‘That’s right. I don’t want it said here.'”
Last night, the military offered to reinstate the staff sergeant, as long as he accepts certain “terms and conditions.”
But Cubbage plans to refuse the offer because it makes no mention of the protocol for blessings and does not address issues such as back pay and damages, said his lawyer, John Whitehead.
Cubbage said his firing was sparked by his supervisor’s strict interpretation of the military’s flag presentation protocol.
“It says ‘If the next of kin have expressed a religious preference or belief, add: ‘God bless you and this family and God bless the United states of America,'” Cubbage said.
Cubbage, an evangelical Christian, believes this addendum allows him to say “God bless you” if the family has a religious ceremony, with a minister, rabbi or other clergy.
Cubbage said his supervisor disagreed, and asked for a clarification from the state military brass, who clouded the issue by only saying the kin must show a preference “one way or another.”
The confusion came to a head at a funeral last Oct. 31.
Cubbage said he met a member of a church associated with his Philly-area church and mentioned the blessing situation.
Eventually, the deceased’s son requested the blessing, Cubbage said.
“He said, ‘Well, I’d like you to say it,'” Cubbage told The Post.
Later, however, Cubbage’s supervisor heard what he said – and fired him.