|
Now Willie Hayes' family wants the remains of the man, who was buried in 2003, removed from Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island.
"If he didn't serve in the Army, he shouldn't be there. It's not fair to the veterans. He stole my brother's identity," Hayes' brother, Sylvester, said in a telephone interview Monday.
The real Willie Hayes, who died Sept. 30 at age 59, was buried Friday, but only after the family and a funeral home in Harlem provided Calverton with documentation of his military service, including the medals he earned.
Calverton, which is run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, issued a statement Monday saying it was looking into the matter. The cemetery said it had verified the information for the Willie Hayes who died last month and authorized the funeral service and burial last week.
A call for comment to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was answered with a recording that said it was closed for the holiday.
Isaiah Owens, the funeral home owner who helped arrange the burial, said it was difficult to learn the real identity of the man buried in the plot because he had no relatives and his burial was arranged by the city.
The family doesn't "want someone to be making a mockery of someone they love," he said.
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed. |
