To the Editor,
A Letter to the Editor was published in the Westfield News on Wednesday, August 13, 2020. I researched the issue of the veterans stones that the writer addressed in their concerns about St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Short answer, the seven veterans WW II soldier’s stones that were addressed in the letter were of markers that had been replaced. These stones in the piles (three and one leaning) were replaced due to errors in spelling of the veteran’s name, incorrect military rank or just a duplicate marker.
These veteran’s markers are property of the United States government that were provided by the Veterans Administration. The VA does not want the markers returned and the cemetery has been retaining them. We’re looking to ping the VA for specific guidance of the disposition of these VA provided markers.
Gene H. Theroux,
Veterans Grave Officer
City of Westfield
