Media Advisories

Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement regarding the recent discovery of numerous mismarked graves and incorrectly interred remains throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration system:

“VA’s National Cemetery Administration has only recently disclosed that scores of our veterans were buried under the wrong headstones, and, in some cases, their loved ones may have been buried with a different family.

“Although I am glad these mistakes have been found, this should never have happened in the first place, and I now have questions about the accuracy of the nearly 2 million remaining gravesites that were not part of this recent review.

“The Committee will fully investigate how these problems arose in the first place, and we will take the appropriate steps to ensure VA puts the proper procedures and oversight in place so that this can never happen again. Faulting contractors for this problem is not acceptable. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with VA.

“I expect a full accounting of all veterans’ graves in veterans’ cemeteries across the nation, as well as a detailed report on VA’s findings as each cemetery review is completed. VA must demonstrate absolute transparency to me, our veterans, and all Americans, throughout the process.

“It is unfortunate that this information took so long to come into the open. I extend my heartfelt sympathy to each of the families affected.”