# Nice. Arlington Cemetery screws with dead military. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 14, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092 "2010-06-14T03:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/1 "2010-06-14T03:43:23Z")
[Link to story in _Stars & Stripes_ about the incredible failings at Arlington National Cemetery](http://www.stripes.com/news/us/army-problems-found-with-more-than-200-graves-at-arlington-1.106708). Metzer’s punishment? “His benefits could be reduced.” REDUCED?! How about gone? Of course, those bennies should be gone only after due process. It’d be interesting to see if said due process is merely administrative action or if it makes it to a court. [Follow-up story in _Stars & Stripes_](http://www.stripes.com/news/arlington-national-cemetery-failings-prompt-sharp-reactions-1.106786). [Another follow-up story in the same paper](http://www.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/stripes-central-1.8040/anger-and-grief-over-arlington-cemetery-disaster-1.106766). ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/2 "2010-06-14T03:51:14Z")
It is a grave problem and should be taken seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/3 "2010-06-14T13:53:51Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > It is a grave problem and should be taken seriously. There are many other things to take care of. But don’ worry; this will be taken care of, in turn. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/4 "2010-06-14T13:59:46Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > There are many other things to take care of. But don’ worry; this will be taken care of, in turn. At least there’s no attempt at a coverup. I hate it when they try to bury these stories. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/5 "2010-06-14T14:00:33Z")
I don’t understand the point of Arlington. Shouldn’t servicemembers be buried in their home towns, so their families can visit their graves? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/6 "2010-06-14T14:00:47Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > It is a grave problem and should be taken seriously. So grave the OP didn’t feel the need to actually tell us anything about it. I’m usually willing to go to a news story and read it, but i prefer a bit of a taste in the OP, to give me an idea whether or not it’s something i need to be outraged about. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/7 "2010-06-14T14:12:09Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t understand the point of Arlington. Shouldn’t servicemembers be buried in their home towns, so their families can visit their graves? It’s a question of honor. Not that there’s anything dishonorable about interment in any other cemetery, not at all, but being interred in Arlington is seen as a tremendous honor. It’s essentially the nation’s military cemetery. Family members typically support any decision to be buried there because it is such an honor. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/8 "2010-06-14T14:15:10Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t understand the point of Arlington. Shouldn’t servicemembers be buried in their home towns, so their families can visit their graves? The _really_ odd thing about Arlington National Cemetary is that Robert E. Lee’s old house is preserved there as a memorial to the man. I’ve always thought it strange that a place dedicated to the memory of those who served their country reserves a place of honor for a man who betrayed it so completely. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/9 "2010-06-14T14:34:11Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > The _really_ odd thing about Arlington National Cemetary is that Robert E. Lee’s old house is preserved there as a memorial to the man. I’ve always thought it strange that a place dedicated to the memory of those who served their country reserves a place of honor for a man who betrayed it so completely. That’s not quite right, is it? The Union government took his estate from him (then had to give it back to his relatives, whom promptly sold it right back to the government) and turned it into a military graveyard for mostly Union soldiers. It was the ultimate snub to Lee for his disloyalty to have his estate in the south used in such a way. That said, my grandparents are buried there (I think! :)) and my Dad is eligible to be buried there when he dies, but doesn’t want to be. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/10 "2010-06-14T14:56:39Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t understand the point of Arlington. Shouldn’t servicemembers be buried in their home towns, so their families can visit their graves? Well, I lived in Arlington for several years, and met quite a few people who were from there. But your point is valid - which is why there are veterans cemeteries all over the country administered either by the VA or by state governments. Were I to buy the farm tomorrow, I would likely be planted in the national cemetery in Quantico - very close to our home and a lovely cemetery besides. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/11 "2010-06-14T15:02:00Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > So grave the OP didn’t feel the need to actually tell us anything about it. The OP is about [screwing with dead folk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrophilia). ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/12 "2010-06-14T22:51:41Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > It is a grave problem and should be taken seriously. I can dig that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/13 "2010-06-15T03:25:54Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t understand the point of Arlington. Shouldn’t servicemembers be buried in their home towns, so their families can visit their graves? If it were manditory, perhaps, but it’s not. A friend of the family died recently, and he was eligible to be buried at Arlington. But in his will he wanted to be buried here with his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/14 "2010-06-15T03:53:47Z")
Sorry about not putting more in the OP. Guess I was peeved. Here’s a run-down on the problems found so far: \*Graves listed as unused (empty) have unidentified bodies buried in them. \*Graves not marked. \*Graves marked with the wrong names. \*Cremains mishandled, including some urns chucked into a pile of dirt that would be used to fill graves. And these problems can be traced back to 1977! ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/15 "2010-06-15T08:33:30Z")
And since 1977 how many complaints have been received from the deceased servicemen affected? ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/16 "2010-06-15T08:48:18Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Family members typically support any decision to be buried there because it is such an honor. FFS! There’s swallowing the Kings Shilling and there’s swallowing it, shitting it and eating it again: ‘It was an honor for my son to die on behalf of the owners of capital in the occupation of a third world shithole’ ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/17 "2010-06-15T12:41:41Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > FFS! There’s swallowing the Kings Shilling and there’s swallowing it, shitting it and eating it again: ‘It was an honor for my son to die on behalf of the owners of capital in the occupation of a third world shithole’ One doesn’t have to die in combat to be buried there. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/18 "2010-06-15T12:45:06Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > That’s not quite right, is it? The Union government took his estate from him (then had to give it back to his relatives, whom promptly sold it right back to the government) and turned it into a military graveyard for mostly Union soldiers. It was the ultimate snub to Lee for his disloyalty to have his estate in the south used in such a way. The estate became Union Army headquarters during the war as well as a cemetery for Union dead to make sure that Lee would never forget what he did to his country. It is still felt as the ultimate snub by the “South Shall Rise Again” types. which is fine by me. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/19 "2010-06-15T13:17:47Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > The estate became Union Army headquarters during the war as well as a cemetery for Union dead to make sure that Lee would never forget what he did to his country. It is still felt as the ultimate snub by the “South Shall Rise Again” types. which is fine by me. Ah, now I understand. Arlington is there so that if the South _does_ rise again, the North will be in a position to also rise and fight the dirty rebel zombies off… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092/20 "2010-06-15T13:40:50Z")
Just a quick comment. John McHugh, whom I knew personally, is **Bricker**. Not literally, of course – they’re from different states and of different ethnic ancestry. But in the sense of being a rational conservative Republican who values bipartisan effort and is firmly committed to due process and to ensuring the rights of the accused, they’re two peas in a pod. Which is why I believe[he meant what he said](http://www.stripes.com/news/us/army-problems-found-with-more-than-200-graves-at-arlington-1.106708) in the CNN article he’s quoted in. Sure, it sounds like typical bureaucratese – but _ **he means it** _ – he intends to get to the bottom of this, it’s outrageous, but he will not find a convenient scapegoat; he’ll pursue the investigation and exonerate the innocent and castigate the guilty. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-arlington-cemetery-screws-with-dead-military/543092.md?page=2)