Arlington Incompetence
Most people have read or heard about Heath Warner who was exhumed by his parents at Arlington to verify his identification. His father was able to confirm that Heath’s remains were in the proper grave by his tattoo. A less-often told story happened a few weeks back at Arlington.
After a report issued in June found that the problems could potentially affect thousands of graves, defense officials received about 1,100 calls from worried families.
One of those calls, from the widow of an Army staff sergeant, led to the exhumation of her husband’s casket late last month. The remains in it belonged to someone else, so officials opened a nearby grave and found the woman’s husband, said Gary Tallman, an Army spokesman.
“The families are satisfied that the problem was fixed,” Tallman said Wednesday.
Total incompetence. There’s no other way to describe the incident. I doubt the families are all that satisfied. It’s not like the two soldiers were interred at the same time or anything. They’re not like bricks stacked upon the ground and someone just tosses it in a nearby grave. There’s a record of the chain of custody – everyone in that chain at Arlington needs to be roasted over a slow fire in public.
The Washington Post writes;
Tallman declined to explain how the mix-up occurred. In the four months since the report was released, the Army has also declined to make Army Secretary John McHugh or Kathryn Condon, who was appointed to fix the problems at Arlington, available for an interview.
Horse. Shit. They’re not part of some imperial court – they’re public servants. If they’re not willing to answer questions, they need to be fired. Period. A journalist with a pair of ‘nads would demand the chain of custody record and publish the names so we can alert the Pitchfork Mob.
Category: Military issues
to me, this is just more evidence that the government can do nothing right.
Some of us can, and do, Boo.
I agree with getting the names and firing up the torches, though. Arlington is hallowed ground, and this is heinous.
There are some civil servants who desperately need to be throat punched. This is beyond the pale.
I think a campaign to oust is in order.
Dunno about that Sparky, making them correct the problem then sending them to the unemployed lines without benefits makes better sense, lol.
Just saying.
However it makes me happy knowing my big brother is safely interred at FT Benning and not Arlington.
HOOAH!
Submit a FOIA Request for all records of inspections done by the Military District of Washington’s (MDW) Inspector General Office in the last however many years back you want to go. The MDW has responsibility for inspection of the cemetery. The problem of chain of custody goes back to at least 1986 that I am aware of. Thurman Highinbottom (sp) was the administrative officer back then and he was a shithead to be kind. They were suppose to have converted the records from manual to automation in the late eighties and he just kept jerking off and making excuses why it was taking so long. Every eighteen months they were inspected and a ten percent verification of record to grave and grave to record was performed and they failed miserably. So follow the paper trail or will Congress and the higher up’s in DOD cover it up, Higginbittom knows where the bones are buried, no pun intended, that’s why he will escape with his pension.
The whole Arlington incompetence upsets me w/words I can’t find to express. It makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. Below is about an experience a Soldier I know had, Patrick, from Operation Once in a Lifetime…fabulous organization, has this on his FB page. Point #1 really, really pissed me off and I find it to be yet another disgrace of Arlington. I have been there many times, and having a few disability issues myself I can relate to what he is saying, it’s a hell of a walk, especially in the heat. Last time there I just sat on the ground under a tree to rest, I got some looks because apparently you aren’t supposed to do that, but there were no reflection benches anywhere. I think the trolly is a tad expensive so I have never used it. I realize they need to make money to pay for the trolley etc., but to deny Purple Heart Soldiers a lift for free? That makes me MAD. The gift shop I will give them, it’s a choice to buy souvenirs, but not letting wounded Soldiers catch a ride is just wrong. “Recently visited Arlington National Cemetery with a couple active duty wounded soldiers (Purple Hearts) and I was impressed and yet disappointed at the same time. Can someone answer me these 2 questions! 1. After walking miles within the cemetery (visiting fellow soldiers that we served with grave sites) and watching the changing of the guard we were very tired. We noticed people running to a trolley; we started towards the trolley and the person asked us for our tickets, we said we did not have any but we were all soldiers and one of the soldiers with us was shot 3 times while serving in Iraq. He said he could not give us a ride! After walking back to the visitors center I went to the tour guide service and asked if they even afford a military discount; NO! Then I went to the gift shop, “do you offer a military discount?” NO! How does this happen?… Read more »
#7,
Gravesites in the private memorial sections haven’t been available since 1 April 2001. A close look at the government issued headstones will reveal that everyone from the lowest Private to Audie Murphy and General of the Armies Pershing have their graves marked with the simple white headstones. The memorial headstones were privately purchased and were authorized between 1947 and 2001. Naturally, senior officers and officials could better afford them than enlisted men. I, for one, don’t miss them as they made for some long and awkward casket carries.
The Tourmobile is a private service, not operated by ANC. I’ve never ridden on it nor was I even aware ANC has a gift shop. I guess I just got spoiled being waived through the gates in my POV or a GOV en route to a mission.
That explains some of it! Thanks!
My Dad, a 30 year Navy veteran of the submarine war in the Pacific (WW-II) had always wanted to be buried in Arlington. After all of the publicity of ‘Arlington losing their Veterans’ he changed his mind. I will be burying my mother in Barrancas National Cemetery within the Pensacola Naval Air Station on the 27th of this month. My Dad has chosen for them to be buried there instead of Arlington and will be laid to rest above my mother when he dies.Its a crying shame the people in our government can mess up a one car funeral but it has become the norm!!! Where has the respect and pride gone???
Virtual Insanity: funny thing, so do I! I do it in the field and the closest I come to a co-worker is online– but I still try to do my job well. lol So I completely see your point.
But– as an institution, the government makes it easy to do a poor job and get away with it– but there are thousands of hard working men and women out there doing their level best day in and day out. 🙂
Boo–
I think the thing that irritates me the most is that there are methods we can use to reward good, hard workers and punish the underperformers in governement service (NSPS was an attempt, a good idea poorly executed).
I worked under NSPS until recently, and another pay-for-performance program that worked really well for awhile before. Both are now gone, under this administration.
I have two excellent GS civilians working for me and I can’t reward them anywhere near what they deserve. They’re both retired Army, and still see what they do as a mission for the country. God bless them.
I also see GS civilians elsewhere on post who should be publicly destroyed…but continue to get away with indifference and incompetence. How does the installation deal with that? Hire contractors to do the jobs the GS people don’t, won’t, or can’t.