Koop Relinquishes Burial at Arlington

Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop relinquished his claim on a burial at Arlington National Cemetery but also lashed out at Republicans who questioned whether he deserved the honor. President Clinton had granted an exemption in 1994 to allow Koop to be buried at Arlington. The exemption came under scrutiny from the Republican head of a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee, Terry Everett of Alabama, who has been looking into the possibility of political favoritism in granting exemptions for burial at Arlington.