Arlington National Cemetary, first designated for military funerals in 1864, is one of our nation's most hallowed resting places for our military heroes.  It's a sacred place where presidents, soldiers, and prominent national figures are buried.  Yesterday, the Secretary of the Army announced that as many as 200 graves may be incorrectly identified.  In some instances, remains were found in sites listed as unoccupied while in other grave sites occupied sites were listed as unmarked. 

According to the Army's Inspector General Steven Whitcomb, most of the mismarked graves have been located in sections 59, 65, and 66.  Section 59 includes Marines killed in the infamous 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. 

The mismanagement of the cemetary may be blamed in part to an antiquated method of tracking the gravesites.  In spite of spending millions of dollars to computerize records, the cemetary still relies on paper records.  In order to correct the errors, remains may have to be disinterred. 

These mistakes cause family members and loved ones needless suffering and anguish.  The mistakes need to be corrected immediately and measures should be implemented to prevent such tragic errors in the future.  The heroes who are interred at Arlington deserve better and their loved ones must hold the government accountable for these errors.