Posted: June 1, 2015

NFDA has received information regarding a few recent incidents in which there were serious issues with caskets presented for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Specifically, there have been isolated instances where the casket was leaking bodily fluids and strong odors were present. This could pose a hazard to the military honors teams and cemetery employees, and most importantly, is not consistent with the excellent service that defines our profession. It is understood that due to the volume of requests for burials at Arlington there can sometimes be a time lapse between the death and burial. Should you have any concerns regarding the preservation of a decedent being transported to Arlington, whether embalmed or unembalmed, please take measures to contain bodily fluids – such as by using a disaster pouch – prior to delivery to Arlington.