Section 60 is facing a cleanup.

Arlington National Cemetery will end its blind eye to grave decorations of Afghanistan and Iraq casulaties in Section 60 beginning in 2015. Families of those fallen soldiers have been leaving many personal items that aren’t allowed in other areas. The call to hold the section to standards of the entire cemetery came from an advisory committee.

It’s a tough call, but the right one. I can’t imagine the pain of families who lost their son, brother, father, sister, mother or cousin in service to our country. In a private cemetery they would be allowed to leave personal items, but this is a national cemetery and needs to have one set of rules. By waiting until 2015, it gives families more time to grieve.

It’s not unusual to see family members in Section 60 spend all day there. That’s their right and personal business. I don’t lead tourists past that section because I feel for the family members and wouldn’t want tourists gawking at my pain no matter how unintentional it might be.

I have one family member buried at Arlington and another who will soon be interred there. It’s truly an honor to be buried at Arlington. Nobody’s turning their backs on the families, but anyone in the military knows sacrifices are always made.