Judge to pick parent to bury Marine son

By OLIVIA MUNOZ, Associated Press Writer

The divorced parents of a Marine killed in the U.S. military's deadliest air crash of the Iraq war are fighting in court over where to bury their son.

The Detroit-area judge who will decide the case scheduled a July 15 hearing on Monday and said she does not want it to turn into a "three-ring circus."

The parents are arguing over the choice of cemeteries — a new national cemetery that has yet to open or a paternal family plot.

Lance Cpl. Allan Klein, 34, died in January along with 29 other Marine infantrymen and a medic in a helicopter crash. His remains are being kept in a Roseville crypt.

"We should be talking about the wonderful things he did for his country, his family and friends instead of ... where we're going to bury him," Judge Diane Druzinski said.

Klein's mother, Rae Oldaugh, wants her son buried in the new Great Lakes National Cemetery. Groundbreaking was held in October, but the cemetery is not expected to be ready for burials until August at the earliest.

Klein's father, Manfred Klein, apparently also wanted his son buried there but became frustrated by delays. The Klein family now wants to bury Allan in a private cemetery where one of his paternal grandparents is interred.

Manfred Klein said his son never specifically talked about what should happen if he died.

Parents fighting over their sons remains. What a tragedy!

Semper Fi