The PCMD Gazette
written by Staff
Tuesday May 27, 2014
Jennifer Burke from TPNN reported that bodies of veterans were left unburied for over one year.
Our veterans, whether the bodies are claimed or not, are required by law to receive a proper burial. However, that is not what happened to as many as 60 deceased veterans whose bodies have been at the morgue in L.A. County for the past year and a half.
On Friday, 28 bodies were transferred from the morgue to be buried at the Riverside National Cemetery. The Veterans Administration claims that they were never notified about the bodies and is blaming the L.A. County Morgue. According to CBS2/KCAL9, the morgue is pointing the finger of blame at the VA also stating they have no idea how long the bodies have been there.
Rightfully so, many citizens, some veterans themselves, are furious that individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America have not been given a proper burial. Richard Burns, a Marine veteran, leads memorial services every Wednesday at the Riverside National Cemetery in honor of unclaimed veterans. Burns said of this travesty, “I think it’s incomprehensible. It’s kinda sad that these people didn’t get the proper care that they deserve even after death.”
A VA spokesperson, Cindy Van Bibber, claims that at no point was the VA contacted about the bodies. The morgue disputes that claim stating, “…there are about 60 decedents of probable veteran status that have awaited disposition for about a year as a result of a personnel change in the Veterans Affairs office and stringent identification/eligibility processes required by the VA.”
With the Obama administration and the VA embroiled in a scandal with veterans dying due to secret lists that hid failure to provide medical care, this latest revelation may add more anger to the fury surrounding that VA scandal.
FOX news Detroit
written by Staff
Tuesday May 27, 2014
DETROIT (WJBK) -- The Jewish Fund has volunteered to bury 200 unclaimed bodies at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office.
It's a story FOX 2 has been following for years: many bodies stored in the freezer long-term because their families are unable or unwilling to claim them.
At one point, there were so many bodies, they had to use a trailer in the parking lot for additional storage.
The newly formed coalition, with the support of The Jewish Fund, will work to ensure that the bodies that have remained at the County Morgue long-term will be buried in individual graves, with caskets, in local cemeteries, over the next two months.
Before the burials take place, the coalition plans to host an interfaith memorial service in Wayne County that will be open to the public, including family members, at no cost.
The group says they have established a plan to ensure that this situation never happens again in Wayne County.
It is estimated to cost less than $150 thousand to bury all of the unclaimed bodies.
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