Labeled Tombstones Found in a Creekbed at Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON - Tombstones found under water. Some poking through mud in a creek bed and this isn't just any cemetery. This is Arlington National Cemetery.

Administrators were notified this week that dozens of headstones had been spotted in a creek bed on cemetery grounds.

When asked how they ended up there Arlington Cemetery spokesperson Kaitlin Horst says "at this point that has yet to be determined."

FOX 5 was there Thursday morning when some of the headstones with identifiable names on them were moved.

Just last week, the Army Secretary said an Inspector General's report found a pattern of mismanagement Arlington. Mismanagement that led to mislabeled headstones even lost remains.

"We're very concerned. In light of the news of last week, we understand that there are families that are very distressed over the news here at Arlington," said Kaitlin Horst.

Some of the headstones are neatly stacked. The spokeswoman describes the stones as "decades old."

"All headstones that have been damaged or have been incorrectly inscribed or have become worn beyond recognition are replaced. The headstones are then taken to a controlled site, broken down so that the names are not recognizable," says Horst.

But that policy did not take affect until 1994.

A spokeswoman says they are working to contact next of kin for tombstones with identifiable names on them.

She says new leadership at the cemetery is determined to restore the faith the American people had in Arlington.

Cemetery leadership will meet tomorrow with representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers to talk about how to handle the newly discovered headstones.

On the Net:

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/