Convicted murderers remains to be removed from Arlington

[BOSSHOG]

A Vietnam Vet who was convicted of murdering two people in Maryland had his ashes put in Arlington after he died of a heroin overdose in 2005. The victims families petitioned for removal and the ashes will be removed.

http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2447211.php

Per congressional legislation, removing the remains of a person from Arlington who has committed a heinous crime would not be an act of punishment against the person but rather an act that would preserve the sacredness of the cemetary grounds.

[demnan]

1. Arlington is hallowed ground

I'm glad he isn't buried there. It's sad too though isn't it? Probably PTSD led him down the path he took.

[BOSSHOG]

2. The story hit hard

A fellow vet who at one time did lots of the right things and yet took the wrong path eventually. This will give the victims family some peace and Arlington will remain sacred. Although its hard to believe that no one buried there never involved themselves in some sort of chicanery. After all they are all cussing and fornicating Sailors and Soldiers and Marines. Not there is anything wrong with cussing and fornicating.

[demnan]

3. Yeah, not saints, but good for the most part

My Dad is buried there and my grandparents. My mother will go there too. My grandfather got a family plot there in 1954, when you could still get family plots. Both my grandfather and father were Captains in the Army, my grandfather during WWI and my father during WWII.

They bury the women on top because there isn't much room yet, though they have been expanding the burial area after this Iraq war got started. :cry:

My brother is a Vietnam vet, he will not be buried at Arlington.

[BOSSHOG]

4. I choose to be cremated

Arlington is a beautiful piece of real estate but I'd rather not take up space. I went there about eight years ago to find the grave of Admiral Jeremy Boorda who killed himself in 96. He has a small white tombstone in a far off corner of the cemetary facing the Pentagon. His little plot was the most moving for me, because he was a great boss.

[malmapus]

5. Thanks Chief : Was actually going to ask you about Admiral Boorda.

Answered my question without me asking!

Can't remember now why I was trying to remember his name in the first place! Did you serve under him any? Bet he must have been a great boss being former enlistee wasn't he?

[BOSSHOG]

6. I never worked directly for him

except he was at the top of all of our chains of command. I found him to be very professional, very pro-Sailor. I met him once as he stopped over at NAS Atlanta. He did have one habit that pissed some Khaki folks off. He would upgrade a personal award for an enlisted person on the spot, which he certainly had the authority to do, but many thought it was a slap at the originator of the award. I thought it was an incredible shame that he took his life over a ribbon device. The story around the award surely did not rise to the level of suicide. Visiting his grave was very rewarding. After seeing all of the huge monuments throughout the cemetary I found his small headstone to be the most powerful. He is buried next to an E-5 Corpsman killed in Vietnam.

[malmapus]

7. Very tragic loosing a good officer like him

I think the question I had was, wasn't he vindicated of that whole ribbon mess by the CO who awarded him with those eventually? Was a real shame that he felt that his only recourse to that was to end his life, sounded like he brought much to the Navy.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Bury the women on top?

It was my impression of double graves that whoever dies first goes in 9ft. The last one to die is on top. It's not sexist, just practical.

More women would be on top if statistically they live longer and are the younger of the couple.