Many people see a moving mental picture when thinking of a military funeral.
Most picture a flag-draped casket lowered into the ground as Taps plays in the background; a final tribute to a veteran who served our country.
With the opening date of a new national cemetery in Holly in question, several people affiliated with the American Legion and Oakland County are beginning to worry some veterans and their families are waiting too long for final burial.
The Great Lakes National Cemetery, contracted to Edge Construction of Southfield, plans to start ‘fast track? burials in August. The early internments are meant to allow some veterans to be buried well before the cemetery is scheduled for completion next August.
American Legion Judge Advocate for Oakland County Carnie Jackson expressed concerns about the timetable for burials due to previous delays, but said he has no reason to believe the latest August deadline will not be met.
Oakland County Director of Public Services Mike Zehnder said the contractor did not start when expected last fall, knocking the project behind from the start. Zehnder also said the work in the septic field is poor with little chance of being approved, making the August opening doubtful.
The situation is complicated by the fact that several deceased veterans are awaiting burial in the new cemetery. According to Jackson, the bodies of ten veterans are being stored in Grand Blanc at Crestview Memorial Cemetery.
Don Mooney, Assistant Director of the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Division at the American Legion in Washington expressed similar concerns.
‘There are twelve projects going on like this currently? normally they’re right on schedule, but this one seems to have slipped through the cracks,? said Mooney. ‘The American Legion is concerned this is causing additional hardship and grief for veterans? families whose family members are in storage.?
Mooney said the process is costing the families a one-time payment of $595 each to store the veterans and feels they should be reimbursed.
Mooney, who verified the contractor will not meet an earlier July 18 completion date, said at this point the Office of General Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs will get involved and ask the construction company for a completion date.
According to Mooney, the American Legion prefers to work out the situation with the current contractor to avoid long delays created by hiring someone else.
Zehnder feels adamant about the issue. He said the situation is similar to being caught between a rock and a hard place. If the contract is defaulted, the whole process could be pushed back a year. He also expressed remorse for the veterans? families.
‘There’s no closure. You’ve got a loved one you want to bury, but the body is in storage? it’s my feeling the storage fee should be charged to the contractor,? said Zehnder.
The Director of Great Lakes National Cemetery Rick Anderson acknowledged there are issues that need to be taken care of, but remains optimistic.
‘Initially we were scheduled to bury in May, but because of weather delays and other issues, that’s been pushed back. If you walk out and look now, we’re not ready, but what will happen in the next 30 days you don’t know? We’re hoping to begin burial in August and if everything goes well from now to then, it will happen,? said Anderson.
The president of Edge Construction, Solomon Obasuyi, said the project is on schedule and the cemetery will be able to have ‘fast track? burials in August.