Reverend David Peters: A Veteran of the Arlington National Cemetery and a Great Place for Remembering Those Who Have Been There
Arlington National Cemetery remains at the center of controversy after one of its staff members tried to prevent former President Donald Trump’s team from filming and taking photos in the cemetery.
It was a horrible day, Trump says over somber music. “We didn’t lose one person in 18 months, and then they took over the disaster, the leaving of Afghanistan.”
The grounds are sacred and hallowed according to Reverend David Peters who said that the cemetery is meant to be a place for remembering those who died in service.
It’s kind of a neutral zone for a lot of things, because we want to honor the way the young people served our country in a time of great conflict.
Peters is a veteran as well. He enlisted in the Marines, served as a chaplain in the Army and the Army Reserves, including at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, then in Washington, D.C.
When he heard of the Trump team’s altercation with an Arlington staff member, which NPR was first to report, Peters thought about the young troops buried in the cemetery.
It reminded me of how far away young people went to serve their country in order to give their lives in such a way that they could not live at home. Peters said they should never be exploited for political or religious reasons.
Michel Martin: You’ve participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington, and I understand that you’ve conducted services there, funerals there. They get political leaders all the time. How do you keep these ceremonies from becoming “political?”
David Peters: There’s always a feeling of tension there. Being close to the center of Washington, D.C., as well as all the people going there to honor those who have died. But also the staff there, that when I was there, I witnessed a very professional staff that worked really hard to keep the flow going of people that are grieving and people that are there to honor the dead, but also to to really show that these young people are special for our country and are symbols of hope and courage for the rest of us.
Martin: Some people might argue you can’t tell people how to grieve. And if they want to grieve by bringing, you know, former President Trump, whom they support, to criticize the current leadership, then that’s their business. How would you respond to that?
So, I don’t ever tell people how to grieve or how to do that. But certainly in the sacred ground of Arlington, when the camera comes in, it makes the story a little bit different to outsiders. And so I think grief that is expressed there, even if it’s sometimes a little bit comical or joyful, can certainly be misinterpreted when it gets out to the larger community.
The statement comes a day after Trump shared a TikTok video including footage from Arlington National Cemetery that likely violates a federal law against using military cemeteries for campaigning purposes.
NPR reached out to Mast’s staff and asked if Langenderfer was briefed and relayed that information to the Trump campaign. They released a statement but did not address the questions.
An Arlington National Cemetery worker was ‘pushed aside’ by Trump aides: An employee who was not a member of the Army of Afghanistan is still in the Army
The Army, in its statement, called the incident “unfortunate,” adding: “it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
“Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds,” the statement said. An ANC employee tried to ensure that the rules were followed, but he was pushed aside. This employee acted with professionalism at ANC and did not cause further disruption. The incident was reported to the police, but the employee decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed.”
“Joe Biden owes a debt of gratitude and an apology to the men and women that served in Afghanistan.” Donald Trump loves this country and will always remember the sacrifice and bravery of our service members. “Join us in putting him back in the White House.”
“Joe Biden may have forgotten that our children died, but we have not forgotten,” said Cheryl Juels at the RNC in July. The aunt of theSgt. is Juels. Nicole Gee, one of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan in 2021.
In a statement after NPR’s original story, family members present Monday said they invited Trump and gave approval for his photographer and videographer to document an emotional moment of remembrance.
Source: Army says Arlington National Cemetery worker was ‘pushed aside’ by Trump aides
On the 2016 Afghanistan Campaign with Donald J. Trump, J. D. Vance and Sgr. Spencer Cox: The Democratic Presidential Candidate Did Not Go to Hell Over the Campaign Controversy
Trump has been making this claim about 18 months without military casualties during his administration for years, and it’s not true. The 18-month period from February 2020 to August 2021 saw no combat-related deaths in Afghanistan, with part of that when Biden was in office.
The 21-second video posted on Trump’s TikTok account shows the then president laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and several clips of him joining Gold Star family members at gravesites of their loved ones.
The family of a person who was a master sergeant. Andrew Marckesano, a Green Beret who died by suicide after serving multiple combat tours and who is buried in Section 60, said according to their conversations with the cemetery, “the Trump campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit.”
We hope that people visiting this sacred site understand that there were people who sacrificed for freedom and that they were honored and treated as liberators, according to a statement.
On the campaign trail in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, the Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, said Harris could “go to hell” over the Afghanistan withdrawal and blamed reporters for the campaign’s controversy, which he called a “disagreement.”
Trump echoed that argument Thursday, doubling down on attacks against Harris and Biden in a clip posted to his campaign’s Trump Social account from a campaign event in Michigan.
“Ask the families of the 13 incredible service member heroes who died in Afghanistan if or how she cares about our young people and our military, whether or not she respects them or not,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who attended the Arlington events with Trump, apologized in a social media post for sending a campaign fundraising email with a photo of him and the former president in Section 60 with the family of Staff Sgt. There is a person by the name of Darin Taylor Hoover.
This is not the first time Trump has been accused of politicizing the military for his personal gain. He has allegedly called dead soldiers “suckers” and “losers,” insulted the late Sen. John McCain for being a prisoner of war and recently stoked controversy for saying civilian Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients are much better than those who received the Medal of Honor — the highest military award in the country, often given posthumously.