I grew up on Long Island, New York, graduated with a BA in government from Cornell University, served in the Army on active duty for 20 years, and then as an Army civilian for another 15 years. My hobbies include photography, astronomy and solar eclipse chasing, often all at once. Retired now, I live in Medford, New Jersey, with Lulu, the dachshund.
In 2010 I visited the Florida Keys Memorial (AKA the 1935 Hurricane Monument), in Islamorada, Florida. I was struck by the absence of any names on the memorial, neither veteran nor civilian. Memorializing the estimated 228 civilian victims is clearly the responsibility of their families, but the 259 dead veterans are entitled to memorials furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at Government expense. Over the years, through the efforts of myself and many others, 95 veterans have received either private or VA headstones/grave markers and memorials. But, until recently, 164 veterans, whose remains are unavailable for burial, were refused memorials by the VA. Currently, I am the claimant-appellee in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Bareford v. McDonough, seeking to restore a VA policy permitting anyone to memorialize veterans. The inspiration for Veterans Key arose from my research on this case.
—Richard Bareford
