|
 MILWAUKEE (Aug. 28, 2010) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration would take over control of scandal-rocked Arlington National Cemetery if asked. But the NCA also wants the funding it will require to properly run the nation’s most heralded and cherished cemetery.
That’s what David Schettler, director of Communications Management Service for NCA told The American Legion on Saturday during the Legion’s 92nd national convention in Milwaukee. The Legion has recommended in testimony to Congress that Arlington be placed under NCA’s control. NCA and VA currently are working with Arlington to correct some of the problems at the cemetery, which included hundreds of unmarked or misidentified graves, and a dysfunctional management system.
“My boss, (VA under secretary for Memorial Affairs) Steve Muro, has said openly that, ‘If it’s offered to us, yes, we’ll take it, but you have to give us the funding for it,’” Schettler said. “There also would have to be some memorandums of agreement because Arlington is very unique. It would require an agreement with the Army Military District of Washington with the memorial stuff they do.”
Schettler said that any talk of NCA taking over Arlington is, to his knowledge, premature.
“I am not aware of any detailed talks. If there are, they’re at higher level than I know about,” he said. “But we would be prepared to take (Arlington) on if given to us and funded properly.”
The American Legion National Convention runs through Thursday, Sept. 2 in Milwaukee. |
