SUN EDITORIAL:

Known but to God

Poor operations at Arlington result in mistakes, new grave for an ‘unknown’

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

Down from the famed Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, near the edge of the cemetery, is a grave marked by a plain white headstone inscribed with the word “unknown.” Cemetery officials put it up this year after news stories brought an issue to light.

The body there was buried like any other “known” person at Arlington, but the problem is that no one can say for sure who it is. The individual’s headstone was apparently never placed and the cemetery doesn’t have proper records to determine who is in the grave.

Cemetery officials knew about the problem in 2003, when a crew digging a grave found the casket. Instead of researching the situation, cemetery officials had the unknown grave covered. It wasn’t until this year, when Salon.com started reporting on problems at Arlington, that anything was done about it.

The Army conducted an investigation and “strongly suspects” that the person buried there is the spouse of someone buried in an adjacent grave. Although that is possible, it would be counter to cemetery policies, which require spouses to be buried in the same grave. The couple’s family declined to have the bodies exhumed for DNA testing, which would have provided definite answers.

As Salon.com notes, this is not the only problem like this at Arlington. In 2008 an Air Force veteran’s remains were buried in an unmarked grave, a few feet above a soldier’s casket. The mistake was discovered months later by the soldier’s widow, who visited Arlington to find the Air Force veteran’s headstone on her husband’s grave.

These stories are troubling and a sign of bigger problems at Arlington. Army Secretary John McHugh this month ordered a full investigation of the cemetery’s operations, citing poor record-keeping and “lost accountability” of some graves.

The Army needs to get to the bottom of this. Arlington is the final resting place for some of the nation’s top military and civilian leaders. This is a shameful way to treat America’s heroes.

Discussion: 1 comment so far…

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

By fosimmons

Nov. 21, 2009

6:48 a.m.

Suggest removal

Fellow Idiots - This sacred ground is the last place on earth for something such as this to happen. The blood of our men and women, spilled in war, must be given a hallowed and respected place to dwell forever, not in an embarrassed situation to our military and we the citizens. Exactly who is in the graves? The families and the military services are hurt by these things happening and on the top of it the information being outed by an internet reporter and not from within. Travesty, indeed. This has to recitified immediately, no matter the cost. Our troops deserve no less.
A remaining great fear is that our past President AWOLBUSH43, CriminalBush, would end up buried in our National Cemetery or any of his tools of crime and war, namely LiarCheney. This, I daily pray, never happens. Thank You.