---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1487"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1487"
heading: "Temporary interment"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1487"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 75 — Deceased Personnel"
  - "Subchapter II — Death Benefits"
---

# §1487. Temporary interment


Whenever necessary for the temporary interment of remains pending transportation under this chapter to a designated cemetery, the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) may acquire, and provide for the maintenance of, grave sites in commercial cemeteries, or he may acquire the right to use such grave sites for burial purposes. If the death occurs outside the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) and a temporary commercial grave site is not available on a reasonable basis, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may acquire land, or the right to use land, necessary for the temporary interment of the remains under this chapter.


## Source credit

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 115.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 1487 | 5:2159 (as applicable to armed forces). | July 15, 1954, ch. 507, § 9 (as applicable to armed forces), 68 Stat. 480. |

The words “as authorized by this chapter, section 103a(c) of this Title, and section 224 of Title 42”, “by purchase or otherwise”, “care and”, and “single or multiple” are omitted as surplusage. The word “continental” is omitted as covered by the definition of “United States” in section 101(1) of this title.