Warner Meets to Discuss Arlington Problems

Earlier this week the Washington Post reported on a variety of problems at Arlington National Cemetery including misplaced and misidentified graves, and discarded headstones found in a nearby stream.

This led Senator Mark Warner to call for a report by the Inspector General, which found that in addition to the previously reported problems, the cemetery’s record keeping capabilities are out of date, using a paper based three by five card system.

Senator Warner said he was stunned by the news.

Warner: We’ve spent more than five million dollars of taxpayer money to try and put in place basic information technology systems and we’ve got nothing to show for that. We are one fire or one flood or maybe even one spilled Starbucks’ coffee away from some of those records potentially being lost.

Warner said he has since consulted with members of the Northern Virginia Technology Council who have offered to provide assistance in establishing a digital archive on a pro bono basis and the Secretary of the Army has welcomed the offer.

The two top officials at the cemetery have been fired in response to the revelations. Over 300,000 soldiers and their family members are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Craig Carper, WCVE News, Capitol Square.