Arlington cemetery: Mistakes may affect 64,000 graves

Comet · #1 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 12:18 AM

This is something that needs to be rectified. And fast.

Most of these men gave their lives for this country. The least we can do is get their names, ranks and other basic information correct.

Quote:

About one in four grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington may contain discrepancies, a US Army report to Congress has found.

Officials found internal records did not match with 64,230 headstones. There were misspelled names, and incorrect ranks and dates of birth and death.

A review of nearly 260,000 headstones was ordered last year after it emerged graves had been misplaced.

No new evidence of people buried in the wrong plots was found in the report.

But the 150-year-old cemetery's supervisors said their review was not yet complete.

After the scandal broke last year, Arlington's executives were dismissed.

Spouse names

Senator Claire McCaskill, a vocal critic of the former Arlington management, told Associated Press news agency that Thursday's report to Congress was part of "a turnaround story" at the cemetery.

But Senator Mark Warner said the report "raises more questions than it answers", adding that he awaited a more complete review.

The Army compared information on every headstone to internal records.

Many of the 64,000 errors amount to a mistake on the cemetery paperwork, rather than the headstone.

Some of the discrepancies simply reflect procedural differences.

Early last century, names of spouses were often not marked on the headstone but this is now a legal requirement.

Officials cited the example of a Civil War veteran by the name of Christian Keiner, of New York, who died in 1919.

His wife, Caroline Keiner, was also buried in the plot, but her name was not on the headstone. And internal records had misspelled her surname as "Kiner".

BBC News - Arlington cemetery: Mistakes may affect 64,000 graves

Oftencold · #2 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 12:39 AM

I certainly agree that in needs fixed, but the concept of "carved in stone" comes into play here, and tends to work against the practice of a "fast" fix.

Plus if they do it quickly --this is the Government, they will surly screw it up worse.

We may take some comfort is the fact that the people whose information is in error, probably don't mind a bit.

Comet · #3 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oftencold

We may take some comfort is the fact that the people whose information is in error, probably don't mind a bit.

It is slightly arrogant to assume what every deceased individual in Arlington minds and does not mind.

It is disrespectful to their memory and those errors need to be fixed as soon as possible.

One in four having basic and fundamental inaccuracies such as misspelled names, ranks, etc., is not acceptable.

Oftencold · #4 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comet

It is slightly arrogant to assume what every deceased individual in Arlington minds and does not mind.

It is disrespectful to their memory and those errors need to be fixed as soon as possible.

One in four having basic and fundamental inaccuracies such as misspelled names, ranks, etc., is not acceptable.

You are not in a good mood tonight are you?

My humble point is that trying to fix 64,000 marble headstone in haste is not likely to produce good results. I've been a Federal employee, I know whereof I speak.

And it is not arrogant to say that the Dead probably don't mind the errors of the Living, it is merely an expression of the Human Condition. Many here would say that the Dead don't exist and so mind nothing. I at least grant that they exist in a higher state.

Comet · #5 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oftencold

You are not in a good mood tonight are you?

I am in a perfectly good mood.

Quote:

My humble point is that trying to fix 64,000 marble headstone in haste is not likely to produce good results.

No one suggested it be rushed through with sloppy results.

It is indeed possible to perform actions quickly AND accurately.

Quote:

And it is not arrogant to say that the Dead probably don't mind the errors of the Living

Yes, it IS arrogant to assume what sixty-four thousand deceased people think.

How on earth can you assume such a thing? Unless you are psychic, interviewed every one of those effected before they passed away, or conducted extensive interviews with their family members, you cannot possibly accurately know how each and every one of them would feel about this.

Your statement is an assumption not based on evidence or facts.

In other words, you are just guessing.

I will not drag this thread off topic by debating with you if dead people exist or if they can think or not. It is not the basis for this discussion. If you want to carry this thread in that direction, I will not provide the fuel for that fire.

The bottom line, is it is inappropriate for one in four deceased soldier's headstone to have basic information such as their name, rank and other elementary information incorrectly displayed.

This needs to be remedied---quickly.

Oftencold · #6 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comet

I am in a perfectly good mood.

No one suggested it be rushed through with sloppy results.

It is indeed possible to perform actions quickly AND accurately.

Yes, it IS arrogant to assume what sixty-four thousand deceased people think.

How on earth can you assume such a thing? Unless you are psychic, interviewed every one of those effected before they passed away, or conducted extensive interviews with their family members, you cannot possibly accurately know how each and every one of them would feel about this.

Your statement is an assumption not based on evidence or facts.

In other words, you are just guessing.

I will not drag this thread off topic by debating with you if dead people exist or if they can think or not. It is not the basis for this discussion. If you want to carry this thread in that direction, I will not provide the fuel for that fire.

The bottom line, is it is inappropriate for one in four deceased soldier's headstone to have basic information such as their name, rank and other elementary information incorrectly displayed.

This needs to be remedied---quickly.

Let me try another tack. Do you think, really think that if this is done quickly, by the government, the ones who gave us TSA in haste, it would be done well? I want it fixed, but no faster than it can be fixed correctly. And that would probably take several years at best.

By the way, most people, especially men, I've known have had next to no concern for what their graves would look like, when the subject came up.

I think if most American men had their way, they'd be buried in unmarked graves, or under wooden headboards that wouldn't long outlast the lives of those who remembered them. This might be highly subcultural or regional though, I admit.

Dave1 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comet

The bottom line, is it is inappropriate for one in four deceased soldier's headstone to have basic information such as their name, rank and other elementary information incorrectly displayed.

This needs to be remedied---quickly.

Uncommon common sense..........

There is absolutely no excuse for that type of incompetence......

mlurp · #8 (**permalink**) 12-24-2011, 08:56 PM

And

reason to debate over it. The govt. did what it always does screwed up!

And now they best correct this mistake and demote anyone that allowed it to happen in the first place.

Plain COMMON SENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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