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Homeowner tells TV station he will remove patio made of military headstones

A patio paved with military headstones in southern Missouri is causing quiet a firestorm on Facebook.

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There are close to 150 on his property, both marked and unmarked. “I took them out of the landfill”, the homeowner said.

The stones were discovered by a realtor, who then called them to the attention of his friend and Navy veteran, Ed Harkreader, who snapped photos and posted them to social media.

“I took advantage of something that shouldn’t have been taken advantage of”, the homeowner said.

“If he needs help, we will be happy to get the Patriot Guard out here with a dump truck and we will load the stones and get them out of here”, says Harkreader.

“They are not to be used for any kind of home improvement project”, Erbe said.

The owner of the business that makes the headstones, says the military has very strict guidelines about grave markers and if something is off, they have to scrap the stone and start from scratch. Rob Collins with Chaney Monument Works says for 27 years, his company did make gravestones for veterans. The two times Harkreader attempted to contact the homeowner, no one answered the door.

He first told us the gravestones would be staying.

“I can’t move them”, he said.

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“I ain’t blaming nobody for nothing but me”, the homeowner, who was not identified, told the station. “Obviously… I can’t move them”. “I took them out of the landfill”. “I am sorry”, he previously said.

Facebook post by Navy veteran ignites firestorm over use of headstones