Vet Group Tempers Criticism in Arlington Scandal

WASHINGTON (July 7) -- The nation's largest veterans group tempered its criticism of the Army over the growing mismanagement scandal at Arlington National Cemetery.

"At this point The American Legion has no reason to believe that the VA, or any other entity, would do a better job at Arlington National Cemetery," said spokesman Marty Callaghan in a statement. "Mistakes were made and are being corrected. It seems appropriate to us that the military should continue to be the sentinels of our nation's honored dead until it has been clearly demonstrated otherwise."

Last week, AOL News quoted another Legion official about the controversy.

"I think common sense should prevail," Phil Riley, director of the American Legion's national security and foreign relations division, had said in a statement to AOL News, indicating that it may be time for the Department of Veterans Affairs to take over the cemetery's operation.

The organization has not drafted a resolution specific to the cemetery.

"We did speak up loudly to the Army about Arlington issues over 18 months ago," he said."That should not be necessary and would confound and complicate the ceremonial relationship with the Old Guard and other services."

But Callaghan said, "At this time we do not advocate the transfer of responsibility" for the cemetery to the VA or any other organization.

Concerns about the cemetery were raised by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which in an interview with AOL News last week became the first major veterans group to publicly call for new management.

VFW spokesman Joe Davis said the group would look favorably on a transfer to the VA's National Cemetery Administration provided it "include all property, civilian employees, responsibility and funding, and that assigned military units, such as the Army's Old Guard, remain intact in both mission and responsibility" toward the American war dead interred at Arlington.

The statements of concern by two of the country's largest veterans organizations is likely to turn up the heat on Army Secretary John McHugh, who told his former congressional colleagues last week that there was "no excuse" for the burial mix-ups uncovered by Salon.com and confirmed by the Army's inspector general.

McHugh admitted "a real disconnect between the cemetery operations and a regular oversight authority." He also told the House Armed Services Committee: "Somebody should have said something to someone. Obviously, that did not occur."

Still, he rejected suggestions that it was time for the Army to surrender control of Arlington and give it over to the VA, which runs 131 national cemeteries, largely without incident.

"We feel it is the responsibility of the military, particularly in time of war, to carry those heroes to their final resting place," McHugh testified. He said it was "unfair to burden" other government agencies.