For the second time within a year, a widow has been interred with the wrong late husband at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
The veteran’s cemetery first faced scrutiny last August when the cremains of a woman were mistakenly mixed with those of the wrong veteran. Then this summer, another error was discovered when a widow’s casket was found in a crypt with the wrong late husband.
These mistakes have drawn criticism from experts in the field. Jack Hales, a Texas attorney specializing in cemetery and funeral home negligence, referred to the incidents as “horrendous.”
Most recently in June, a widow from the Tampa Bay area who had planned to be buried with her late husband was found in a grave vault that already contained a second casket.
VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes said the spouses had “similar” names. The wrongly interred spouse was replaced with the correct one and relocated to a different section with the actual late husband.
The families affected by the June 2023 incident were notified, according to Hayes. He stated, “We resolved the matter quickly, sincerely apologized to the family, and worked closely with them to honor their wishes and pay tribute to their beloved Veteran.”
These incidents underline the need for stringent measures and protocols in handling and interment processes to prevent such distressing mix-ups in the future.