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Honor Kennedy By Fixing Arlington

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 29, 2009 3:06 PM CDT

(Newser) – Ted Kennedy will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery today, but for many soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan the wait for an Arlington burial is a lot longer, writes Mark Benjamin at Salon. Kennedy himself once intervened for a Massachusetts family who was told they’d have to wait at least six weeks to bury their son, more if they wanted a service. Those waits have grown even longer, in some cases stretching months.

Nor is that the only problem at Arlington. The cemetery doesn’t have a digital system for keeping track of its plots, despite millions spent to develop one—the project has been plagued by fraud. As a result, the cemetery isn’t entirely sure which bodies are buried where, even in a newer cemetery section. “These are not isolated incidents,” said the head of a veterans’ group. “There are deep-rooted problems at Arlington.”

Arlington Cemetery officials make preparations at the burial site for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, Thursday.
Arlington Cemetery officials make preparations at the burial site for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, Thursday.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
A rainbow appears over the Washington Monument as seen from Arlington National Cemetery, Thursday, July 23, 2009 in Arlington, Va.
A rainbow appears over the Washington Monument as seen from Arlington National Cemetery, Thursday, July 23, 2009 in Arlington, Va.   (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
The grave site of President John F. Kennedy is seen on the 45th anniversary of his assassination, at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, in Arlington, Va.
The grave site of President John F. Kennedy is seen on the 45th anniversary of his assassination, at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, in Arlington, Va.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
Mad
Aug 30, 2009 4:55 AM CDT
Whom?
Reader587
Aug 30, 2009 2:32 AM CDT
They had to go to the paper files to find where my relative was buried. I was shocked. GIve the files to a couple of teenage geeks, three pizzas, and a few laptops...and let them replace the ancient system...no bidding allowed. Sorry.
brawne
Aug 29, 2009 11:23 AM CDT
They handled 58, 000 with no computers at all before we hired off the shelf. Remember Garden of Stones--the 3rd Infantry, the Old Guard? Hey, you didn't just lose the the elite cutting edge to Blackwater. You lost everything. Get mad.

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