Navy veteran, Madellyn Taylor, never imagined that she would be denied a burial spot next to her deceased wife, but that's exactly what happened last December in Idaho.
Taylor went to the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery with her Navy discharge papers and a California marriage license to secure a spot for her and her wife in a columbarium. It was there where she learned that because Idaho doesn't recognize same-sex marriages, her wife couldn't be buried in the state-run cemetery.
A fellow veteran, retired Army Colonel, Barry Johnson, heard about the story and was enraged. He even offered up his own spot in the cemetery as a solution. The honorable and patriotic gesture was refused by the State.
This is another example of why advanced planning and knowledge of State law is so important, particularly for same-sex couples.