Arlington refuses burial of U.S. ally from Vietnam War

Washington (CNN) -- The family of a man who fought alongside U.S. troops in Vietnam have been told their relative will not be allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Maj. Gen. Vang Pao led thousands of Hmong soldiers as they fought alongside the United States against the North Vietnamese Army during the war in Southeast Asia, according to a news release from Rep. Jim Costa, D-California.

The family can still ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates and President Obama to make an exception. A Pentagon spokesman said he did not know if any request regarding Pao's burial had reached Gates as of Friday afternoon.

ORIGINAL SOURCE