From the Army and Office of Army Cemeteries (OAC):
The Army has recently identified a gap in policy related to handling the discovery of remains of servicemembers from the numerous conflicts during the 18th and 19th century that helped shape our country. The Office of Army Cemeteries (located within Arlington National Cemetery) is requesting the support of professional archaeological organizations to help with this effort. We feel that educating the archaeological community about the Army’s objections will reduce the number of servicemembers being disinterred and institute a protocol for reporting any remains that are encountered during any archaeological excavations.
The U.S. Army is committed to the care of its servicemembers, past, present, and future. This commitment has been a defining feature of America’s Army since its inception in 1775, when Patriots answered the call to arms and fought to establish our great Nation.
Recently, a disturbing trend has emerged that challenges the Army’s ability to care for its fallen: the intentional or deliberate disinterment of the remains of servicemembers from battlegrounds and ancient cemeteries across the country. Both professional and amateur archaeologists have participated in these excavations, and while many are well-meaning, these projects run counter to the Army’s longstanding policy that all interments are final.
To help protect the final resting places of those servicemembers who fell during the many conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Army requests that any federal, state or local government entity, or private organization that identifies or inadvertently discovers the burial location or remains that may be of US or foreign servicemembers treat the U.S. Department of the Army as an interested and/or a consulting party regarding all actions related to these burials or remains. Please notify the Office of Army Cemeteries prior to any planned disturbance of such remains, or if the discovery is inadvertent, please immediately halt all disturbance activity and notify the Office of Army Cemeteries. Notification should be made to: <usarmy.pentagon.hqda-anmc.mbx.accountability-coe@army.mil>. Together, we can ensure that the men and women who fell while serving the Nation can continue their well-deserved peaceful repose, honoring their place in our history by honoring their current resting place.
For any questions or comments about this statement, please reach out to Dr. Michael “Sonny” Trimble (michael.k.trimble.civ@army.mil) or LTC Maxwell Pappas (maxwell.b.pappas.mil@army.mil) and we would be happy to address them.