WWII veteran given Viking funeral; Coast Guard agreed to Norse send-off

World War II veteran Andrew Haines decided years ago that he wanted a Norse-inspired funeral upon his death, and the U.S. Coast Guard obliged.

Mr. Haines, who emigrated from Norway in 1927, scaled down blueprints for a 100-foot ship to a few feet in the years before he died. It was then up to the Coast Guard to decide whether it would ignite the boat and send-off Mr. Haines‘ cremated remains in accordance with his wishes.

“Oh, I was thrilled,” Mr. Haines’ son Andy told Navy Times on Thursday. “I was thrilled when the Coast Guard called and told me we were doing it [his] way.”