Have you see this? A Missouri patio paved in military headstones. Veterans mad, VA investigating

2015-08-18T09:11:29-04:00

A patio and staircase apparently built out of military gravestones at a property in southern Missouri has sparked a firestorm of criticism on social media.

Navy veteran Ed Harkreader of Mountain Home, Ark., posted photographs of the arrangement on Facebook last week. The post triggered scores of outraged comments and was shared thousands of times.

“This isn’t the way you should use military headstones,” Harkreader told the Post-Dispatch in a telephone interview Monday. “This is disrespectful of military veterans.”

Harkreader, 55, said he served in the Navy for 22 years. He said he heard about the use of the stones from a friend and drove the short distance from his home in Arkansas to the property in Ozark County, Mo. The property is near Lake Norfork just north of the Missouri-Arkansas line.

Harkreader took pictures and tried without success to reach the property owner. His photographs show a patio and staircase fashioned from what appear to be military headstones, some with the names of veterans and spouses clearly visible. A check of Internet grave services indicates that some of the stones were for grave sites in California, Alabama and Texas.

Chris Erbe, a spokesman for the National Cemetery Administration in Washington, said officials heard about the matter from Harkreader’s Facebook posting. The inspector general’s office of the Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating the report, Erbe said.

It’s not clear where the stones came from. Markers are sometimes inscribed with errors or typos and are supposed to be destroyed. Often stones are replaced rather than re-inscribed when spouses die and are buried at the same location. Older military headstones sometimes are replaced, Erbe said, but the old stones are supposed to be destroyed.

“They are not to be used for any kind of home improvement project,” he said.

The markers in Harkreader’s photos appear to be relatively new, with several showing death dates in the 2000s.

Harkreader’s posting drew numerous angry replies, some of which suggested solving the matter violently. Harkreader said he was distressed by those comments but wanted the stones removed and properly disposed of.

Grave markers have shown up where they don’t belong before. Last month a former employee of the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery was arraigned in federal court, accused of theft of government property for taking discarded grave stones and using them to pave his carport, according to media reports. Authorities suspected he had been taking them home a few stones at a time over several years.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/a-missouri-patio-paved-in-military-headstones-veterans-mad-va/article_d6e9e745-ab01-5627-992f-c80bd391e379.html

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Aug 18 at 2015 9:14 AM

2015-08-18T09:14:53-04:00

I am from Arkansas, and I am ashamed. This deserves explaining. I am going to Arkansas next month. Maybe I will try to reach the owner.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Aug 18 at 2015 9:16 AM

2015-08-18T09:16:58-04:00

Now how did htis happen?

Response by SN Greg Wright made Aug 18 at 2015 9:19 AM

2015-08-18T09:19:33-04:00

That's just....

Wow.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Aug 18 at 2015 9:21 AM

2015-08-18T09:21:36-04:00

Sort of a sick version of the Red Green Show

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2015 9:30 AM

2015-08-18T09:30:03-04:00

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S., wow. This is definitley not right. I don't understand how anyone could think that this was ok.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 18 at 2015 9:57 AM

2015-08-18T09:57:15-04:00

A stunning lack of class and dignity!

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 18 at 2015 9:57 AM

2015-08-18T09:57:59-04:00

Thanks for another great post!

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 18 at 2015 9:59 AM

2015-08-18T09:59:40-04:00

The main reason in my view is that lack of work ethic and respect the civilians our government employees have. They are wanting a fat pay check but don't want to work for it. Military vets know hard work and dedication and don't like slackers.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Aug 18 at 2015 10:21 AM

2015-08-18T10:21:18-04:00

That's a little mondo-beyondo to say the least. Plus you're walking on headstones which are meant to be monuments which is at the least disrespectful to those SMs.

Response by SGT William Howell made Aug 18 at 2015 10:21 AM

2015-08-18T10:21:35-04:00

Wow! I am just at a loss of words.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Aug 18 at 2015 10:42 AM

2015-08-18T10:42:58-04:00

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. This is sick. Who in their right mind would think this is OK? I can understand if it is a memorial walkway with benches like the one in Oklahoma City, or (I believe) the Pentagon, but to simply use grave markers for a patio and staircase is insulting to the memory of those who served. There should be an investigation. It should be followed by the termination of whoever was responsible for letting this douche get a hold of them. The property owner should be fined being that I am sure (based on the photos) that the structure is not up to the building code.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 18 at 2015 10:54 AM

2015-08-18T10:54:59-04:00

There are some really sick people out there...

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Aug 18 at 2015 12:59 PM

2015-08-18T12:59:14-04:00

I find this to be Highly, HIGHLY disrespectful to those who have been KIA.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Aug 18 at 2015 2:32 PM

2015-08-18T14:32:16-04:00

Still trying to wrap my brain around the reasoning for this one... How could one reasonably assume this would be a great conversational piece? Really?

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Aug 18 at 2015 2:53 PM

2015-08-18T14:53:52-04:00

Sorry, LCDR Private RallyPoint Member this is duplicate.

https://www.rallypoint.com/topics/veterans/answers/have-you-see-this-a-missouri-patio-paved-in-military-headstones-veterans-mad-va-investigating

Incidentally, it is sickening that this happened.

Have you see this? A Missouri patio paved in military headstones. Veterans mad, VA investigating...

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Aug 18 at 2015 2:56 PM

2015-08-18T14:56:19-04:00

This is sticky because if they were misprints and re-purposed they could be used in a respectful way for example not using them as steps. but as a wall. If they were stolen then prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. its all about how it is used and contex in my book.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2015 3:00 PM

2015-08-18T15:00:51-04:00

Wow this is bad. The article I posted didn't have the picture and now that I can see it, I feel like it's even worse.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2015 1:26 PM

2015-08-22T13:26:15-04:00

How truly vulturesque. Prosecution with ample publicity to drive home the message.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2015 1:35 PM

2015-08-22T13:35:19-04:00

Years ago my father's Navy headstone was stolen. Although I wasn't involved in it's replacement, my Mother relayed to me that it wasn't a pleasant experience when contacting the VA to try to get it replaced. She was eventually able to get it replaced. When I ordered a Navy headstone for my brother four years ago, I was warned by the VA personnel to avoid ordering a bronze headstone or the brass urn (my first choice) because he said they were being stolen and sold for scrap metal. I ended up ordering the granite one. I can't understand why anyone would think it is ok to do this. Even if they were not stolen and are misprints this is in bad taste.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2015 5:31 PM

2015-08-22T17:31:41-04:00

Beyond words. Truly shameful.

Response by MSgt John Taylor made Aug 23 at 2015 4:27 PM

2015-08-23T16:27:07-04:00

If they're throw-away stones, why didn't they just put them down "name side" down?

Response by MSG Michael Murphy made Nov 5 at 2015 7:15 PM

2015-11-05T19:15:02-05:00

Very disrespectful indeed

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 5 at 2015 7:20 PM

2015-11-05T19:20:11-05:00

I think whomever done this needs counseling. Wall to wall counseling that is.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Feb 10 at 2021 10:33 AM

2021-02-10T10:33:18-05:00

I got curious about what happened next...This is what I found https://www.baxterbulletin.com/story/news/local/2015/08/25/burial-military-gravestones-set-ozark-county/32328591/

Of Note "According to Reed, the unidentified man who owned the Howard’s Ridge property gave up the gravestones voluntarily and 150 headstones were taken from the home by Ozark County deputies on Saturday.
Reed also noted the gravestones were “never government property, never stolen.”

The Baxter Bulletin

Response by LTC David Brown made Jun 4 at 2021 5:48 PM

2021-06-04T17:48:36-04:00

I Augusta GA we had an old mortuary that was being torn down. Grave head stones that had never been placed were discovered. A veterans group got involved and all markers were properly placed.