This is absolutely sickening to me.
The discovery of a World War II veteran buried in a cardboard box at
Florida National Cemetery has triggered outrage in Congress.Workers made the discovery after they removed a headstone at the
cemetery in Bushnell during routine maintenance, myFOXtampabay.com
reported Saturday.
The veteran named Lawrence Davis Jr. died in 2004 and had no loved
ones to make funeral arrangements for him. He was buried in a shallow
grave with no casket.
The medical examiner sent Davis' remains in a cardboard box, and they were buried in the same box.
Veterans Affairs manager Maurice Roan said, "We usually bury the
container they come in as long as it's sealed. We make every effort to
make sure they get a dignified burial."
He added that the department goes out of its way to show dignity and respect.
Florida National Cemetery holds a special service for all veterans
who are buried without family present. Their names are read in a service
that takes place four times a year. But giving it the power to purchase
caskets for deceased veterans would take an Act of Congress.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said, "We're not going to treat the
veterans of this country that way. We're going to ensure there is a
dignified burial."
Nelson and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., both support a new bill called
The Dignified Burial of Veterans Act of 2012. It would require the
Department of Veterans Affairs to review its burial standards and would
authorize it to purchase caskets or urns for all veterans in our
national cemeteries.
No comments:
Post a Comment