Posted on 02/03/2018 10:15:45 AM PST by COBOL2Java
At the current rate, the cemetery will run out of room for burials in the early 2040s.
There are some things that can be done that would significantly restrict who is eligible and therefore extend the life of the cemetery over 100 years, said Arlington National Cemeterys Superintendent Kate Kelley.
The question on the table is: Does the nation want that for Arlington, and are we willing to make the tough choices that its going to take if were going to do that?
Efforts to expand the cemeterys footprint are underway. There are current discussions with the state and county to purchase 37 adjacent acres, but Kelley said that land would only add an additional 10 years of capacity.
The two largest groups responsible for filling capacity are people who served active duty but didnt retire, as well as 2 million military retirees.
Those two groups are the ones that are going to allow the remaining space in Arlington to be available well into the future, Kelley said.
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
A local Catholic Sisters Convent does the same thing, not a problem.
Any more Confederate General’s property nearby we can seize?
Cremation and columbarium would create a lot more capacity.
Generally,
Having been to several burials at Arlington National Cemetery with in the last few years, I can assure you that there is NO restriction as rank as you stated “its mostly restricted to officers.” The primary restriction for in ground burials, as opposed to putting created remains in the columbarium, is to have served in combat zones during wars.
Here are the eligibility rules for ANC from its own website: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Funerals/Scheduling-a-Funeral/Establishing-Eligibility
Thus I, after 20 years of active duty, without having received any of the medals listed, can only have my cremated remains “buried” in the columbarium and cannot be buried “in the ground” at ANC. I can still be buried ‘in the ground’ at any other existing National Cemetery.
V/r, Grey Friar
There must be some near by land that was once owned by slave holders. Why not just steal that property as well?
Ban all Democrats...then dig up all Democrats and move them to the dump!
You are so bad. :)
Yeah, seeing as how the demoncraps have been supporting the killing of unborn babies whose bodies tend to end up in the trash, it would only be appropriate for them to receive the same treatment.
It was originally Robert E. Lee’s land. How about taking modern day seditionists’ properties to extend the purpose: Clinton & Kennedy properties?
My BIL is buried in Arlington. He got the caisson and a flyover.
The large number of unknown civil war dead could be reinterred in a mausoleum after being sampled for DNA for identification purposes.
I think the are burying the wives of the veterans too. Stop that and wow, lots of room. Or dig up based on first buried first to be removed when it gets full. Na, just kidding.
We’ve been hearing this for 10 years.
I don't think that's correct. A lot of combat Vietnam vets wound up there because their parents and loved ones wanted to make a political statement (pro or con) about the war.
The cremation option is a good one, though. Three generations of Americans are comfortable with the practice, including my family.
The burying of spouses in Arlington National Cemetery has been done of one on top of the pre-deceased veteran instead of side by side for the last couple of decades and perhaps longer. Thus the current individual graves are “bunk beds” so to speak.
My brother, mom and dad are all buried one on top of the other in Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu. They have been doing that for years out there.
It happens in New Orleans all the time. If it’s the same family it looks tasteful....not sure about different families....
Thanks for the explanation.
God bless, and thank you for your service.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.