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RESPECT
Casey Sheehan was killed in combat nearly two years ago. According to Chuck Simmins, who has searched the DoD’s grave locater, it seems Cindy Sheehan’s son still lies in an unmarked grave.
Perhaps Cindy is too busy to attend to this minor detail; but not so busy she couldn’t pose at the grave for Vanity Fair’s January edition.
I’ve been reading this blog for a long time and I never thought I would register just to defend Cindy Sheehan (who I despise), but I think Mr. Simmins may have made a simple mistake.
Recently I checked the same online database to look for soldiers I knew who were killed in Iraq over a year ago and could not find their graves (my grandfather-who died five years ago was listed). They were buried by the Army (or at least with full military honors), so I am confident that everything that could be done to provide them with a proper resting place was taken care of. It would seem that the bureaucrats running the database are just behind in updating it.
I endorse everything wronwright has said about Sheehan, but this might not be her fault.
P.S. Andrea, I am not a lefty by any stretch of the imagination-please sheath the sword of wrath and banning.
Oops, followed the link and saw the picture of the unmarked grave. The database is available at http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 and returns no results for Casey Sheehan.
A search for my grandfather returned:
1. G****, S***** C*****
US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 08/04/1916
DATE OF DEATH: 11/12/2001
BURIED AT:
BYRD CEMETERY
BAKERSVILLE, NC 28705FWIW
I’ve been reading this blog for a long time and I never thought I would register just to defend Cindy Sheehan (who I despise), but I think Mr. Simmins may have made a simple mistake.
Simple test—in the pic of Mother Cindy luxuriating on her son’s grave, is there a headstone or not?
Posted by Rob Crawford on 2006 03 08 at 12:04 PM • permalinkRob Crawford,
I really don’t recall-frankly I was disgusted by the picture (and I continue to be disgusted by the woman). In any event, some VA headstones are flat and might not show up unless the picture was taken from overhead, I also seem to recall that it took several months before my grandfather’s VA headstone was placed on his grave.I expect that the location of the grave is registered—has to be, to be buried in the first place. And there is always a generic marker on the ground, placed by the cemetary keeper, as a marker.
But that marker is TEMPORARY, until the family arranges the placement a permanent monument; this was the case for deaths in my family.
Which has not been done by the family, although Mommy Cindy seems to be the lead for this. Either the rest of the Casey family doesn’t care, or has literally cut all ties with Cindy (for their own peace of mind). I’d bet on the latter being so, which is sad in the end for all.
The stupid thing is that the Veterans Administration will supply a monument. When requested, and at no charge, although it will take months (but not 2 years, 91B30).
Or she can order up a monument from a private source, and have it in place fairly quickly. This is an easy thing to do, and not terribly expensive….especially for someone jetting around the world, and traveling the country.
Placing a memorial of some sort is the final thing people do when burying their loved ones, and has been for a long long time across the world. That Mommy Cindy has not done it—in spite of all her ranting about losing her son—demonstrates that she is in this for herself.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 03 08 at 12:26 PM • permalinkJeff,
I seem to recall that a previous version of the message board had your AKO e-mail address available (I think it was you-weren’t you in Kuwait?) I thought about e-mailing you at one point last year while you were in Kuwait (I was in Iraq at FOB Bernstein). If you want me to establish my bona fides that way I would be happy to send you a message via the e-mail on this board with my AKO address. I really do not want to come across as a Cindy supporter.Maybe it’s part of her overall denial of her son’s death. She may be avoiding placing a grave marker (and doing all this obnoxious activism) in order to avoid confronting reality.
I’m not making any excuses for her either, but I can’t think of any other reason for her not to have taken advantage of what would really be another opportunity to grandstand. Unless… maybe she has to go through the VA or some other military branch to get this done, and she might not be willing to do so for a number of reasons.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 03 08 at 12:46 PM • permalink#9 I’m not making any excuses for her either ...
Well, it sounds to me like you are. Making excuses for a glory seeking publicity grubbing rabble rouser like Cindy Sheehan.
Well, you know what? That’s IT! You’re BANNED! Oh wait a minute.
Posted by wronwright on 2006 03 08 at 01:15 PM • permalinkAndrea? Pffff. She’s a woman, I’m the man. I call the shots. I will not be intimida—————————
Posted by wronwright on 2006 03 08 at 01:50 PM • permalink91B30—yes, I was in Kuwait, and am now back home. But that’s cool, don’t worry about your bona fides. I could have expressed myself better.
You’re right, there are circumstances where a permanent monument might not placed. And they might actually apply to Cindy. I simply don’t think that’s the case here. But you could be right in your post…...without supporting Cindy Sheehan in the process. Look at Andrea, our BlogMistress™, who offers another valid reason.
I think that we are on the same sheet here. But thanks for your concerns.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 03 08 at 02:18 PM • permalinkThe setting of a headstone for a loved one is one of the most solemn and hearbreaking moments in a person’s life. Not to see that it is done, and done properly, says much about the absence of love, love that belongs to the loved one. My wife, my children, and I have sorrowfully performed this act for my children’s grandparents. It is a moment to be shared quietly with ones closest companions.If some jackasses with cameras showed up to make a circus of it, there would suddenly have been a market for slightly destroyed photoware.
I think I’ve already reached my quota of disgust for Cindy Sheehan. You’d think Casey’s father would have put up a monument, though. But maybe there’s disagreement about it in the family, considering how nearly all of them have distanced themselves from St. Looney of the Ditch.
Hey, did you know there’s a Tardis parked outside with a body half hanging out of it? Is that… wronwright?
Let’s give the sad cow the benefit of the doubt and accept the grave is unmarked because of tardy bureaucracy or some other plausible reason. If that were the case, any skerrick of human decency would dictate she explain why there is no headstone. But no, she’s so stupidly in awe of herself and her campaign, she can’t comprehend that even her most naive sympathisers would be asking, “er Cindy, why no headstone?” Hope the NY Post has picked this up.
Don’t worry about wronwright. He’s taking a little… vacation. For his nerves. Yes.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 03 08 at 10:53 PM • permalink91B30 6
some VA headstones are flat and might not show up unless the picture was taken from overhead,
In the cemetary where I worked during summers in the 1970s, this was the case. ALL the VA stones were flat. Made the mowing hella easier, I gotta say.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 03 09 at 03:49 PM • permalinkO/T Weird postscript: This cemetary was in western Pennsylvania, and this was in the mid-1970s. On my last day of employment there, I finally got around to looking through the rule book. On the first page, it said (more or less) “Xxxxxxxxx Cemetary is a memorial park dedicated to the interment of deceased white persons of the Xxxxxx community.” Huh? Well, that wasn’t my original reason for leaving that job, but it sure as hell blew out any lingering mixed emotions I mighta had about it.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 03 09 at 04:05 PM • permalink
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Marking a child’s grave with a monument is a profound showing of love and respect. But it also requires time and effort that could be better spent on her diligent efforts to bring publicity to herself.
Like 90%+ of leftists/liberals, what is important is not a cause or a group of needy people. But rather the goodness and moral superiority of the person expousing the cause.
This war might only last another year or two. Sheehan’s time to drum up attention and congratulations to herself is limited. Casey’s monument can wait till then.