Steve Stivers: “I've served for 26 years in the Ohio Army National Guard and had the pleasure of serving with many brave men and women…”

“I've served for 26 years in the Ohio Army National Guard and had the pleasure of serving with many brave men and women over the years, including a tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a member of the armed services as well as a Member of Congress, I was shocked and horrified last year by reports of the Dover Air Force Base mortuary sending veterans' remains to the Prince George landfill. The Washington Post reported on December 7, 2011, that they uncovered ``976 fragments from 274 servicemembers that were cremated, incinerated and taken to the landfill between 2004 and 2008.'' This is an outrage. It disrespects our men and women in uniform, and it can't be allowed to stand. The first step to fixing this is creating a proper memorial for those who have served our country so well and given their last measure of devotion. I'm working on legislation to create a Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery for every conflict moving forward. This plan will be paid for by taking money from the Air Force, because that's where the poor decisions were made. I plan to introduce this legislation very soon. To those who have given their final measure of devotion in service to our country, they deserve a final resting place worthy of their dedication, commitment, and devotion, and we need to give that to them. God bless the United States of America. [From the Washington Post, Dec. 7, 2011] Air Force Dumped Ashes of More Troops' Remains in Va.…”