88th RSC fulfills sacred commitment to nation's service members

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Corey Beal | Col. Kurt Wagner, 88th RSC Director of Public Works, assisted by Anne Borders, 88th RSC Area Facility Operations Specialist, conducts a burial site inspection at the Woodmere Cemetery located in downtown Detroit, Oct. 9. The 88th RSC is responsible for seven cemeteries, to include inspection of three civilian re-interment sites which are located in Columbus, Denver and Detroit. “We conduct a physical inspection of these sites and make sure our Soldiers’ and their Families’ graves are deservingly maintained,” said Wagner. “Is the grass mowed, are the tombstones clean and unbroken, are they in alignment, is the site well maintained? If we find issues we bring them to the cemetery management and work with them until they are resolved.” “This country has always treated our graveyards as sacred ground,” said Wagner. “This is a part of our history – and after more than 200 years in some cases, we are still maintaining those Soldiers’ grave sites.”  

DETROIT, MI, UNITED STATES

10.16.2014

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Corey Beal 

88th Readiness Division

DETROIT - The Army Reserve continues to honor veterans and their families who have served the nation by ensuring their burial sites are maintained to standards befitting their status as national shrines.

The 88th Regional Support Command oversees the fulfillment of that commitment with the physical inspection of seven burial sites located throughout the northwest region.

Col. Kurt Wagner, 88th RSC Director of Public Works, leads the command’s cemetery inspection program and said we have a sacred obligation to maintain these sites.

“This country has always treated our graveyards as sacred ground,” said Wagner. “This is a part of our history – and after more than 200 years in some cases, we are still maintaining those Soldiers’ grave sites.”

Out of all the burial sites overseen by Department of the Army, some are located in private cemeteries which were used to re-inter those originally laid to rest in Army cemeteries.

Disinterment and relocation of graves may seem extreme, but became a necessity for some Army posts according to Wagner.

“Disinterring a grave is an extremely formalized ceremonial process and they have never been done lightly,” said Wagner. “I think a big part of it was that these small installations had a graveyard and as times changed and their cemeteries became larger and more formalized, they realized they could not continue to grow or maintain to the standards deserved.”

“The Army purchased the plots just like you would. An agreement was then made that the Army would pay for the relocation, burial and grave markers – while the cemetery agreed to maintain upkeep of the plots and area,” continued Wagner.

To ensure the cemeteries kept in agreement, local Army Post commanders would visit and inspect the sites annually. Many of the posts no longer exist.

“As a regional support command, the 88th RSC is considered an installation command and our installation is all 19 states in our region,” said Wagner. “So we are responsible for seven cemeteries to include three civilian re-interment sites which are located in Columbus, Denver and Detroit.”

Wagner conducted one such inspection at the Woodmere Cemetery located in downtown Detroit Oct. 9.

Origination of the Woodmere Cemetery arrangement was established in 1896 when the Army purchased 250 graves and transferred 166 Soldiers and family members buried on the Fort Wayne Army Post Cemetery. Fort Wayne continued to utilize Woodmere Cemetery for their burials until its closure in 1948.

The Woodmere Cemetery site has continued to grow over the years with the addition of current day Veterans as well as several War of 1812 Soldier whose graves were discovered in the 1980s during excavations for construction of the Detroit monorail system.

The Army has a responsibility for all of these Soldiers and to their families, said Wagner.

“We conduct a physical inspection of these sites and make sure our Soldiers’ and their families’ graves are deservingly maintained,” said Wagner. “Is the grass mowed, are the tombstones clean and unbroken, are they in alignment, is the site well maintained? If we find issues we bring them to the cemetery management and work with them until they are resolved.”

“Three years ago was the first time the 88th RSC inspected these grounds,” said Wagner, “and there were significant issues – and we brought those concerns to the cemetery management.”

These inspects do make a difference, said Wagner.
“I am pleased to say that the management stepped up and corrected the deficiencies we pointed out – and they are still striving to take better care of it,” said Wagner. “Today was a great improvement from what we saw three years ago.”

The bottom line is we have a commitment to all those who have served our Nation, said Wagner.

“We conduct these inspections and will continue to partner with our civilian cemeteries to ensure our burial sites are maintained and befitting of those resting in them,” said Wagner. “Nothing less is acceptable by the American people – and nothing less is acceptable to us.”

• Date Taken: 10.16.2014
• Date Posted: 10.16.2014 12:07
• Story ID: 145197
• Location: DETROIT, MI, US