Rains caused some grave markers at Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery to settle at odd angles. A company has been hired to assess the damage in Kane'ohe. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Workers have fixed many of them, he said, but some grave markers were still several inches below ground level of the lawn as the staff prepared for Memorial Day activities.

"Yeah, we have problems, but you have to look at how we are going to fix it and how it is going to be done," Okamura said yesterday.

The cemetery, which has about 5,600 graves and four groundskeepers, is not being neglected, he said.

"Our guys are working hard out here," he said. "But what do you expect from a short staff?"

Okamura would not discuss solutions, referring questions to Ed Cruickshank, director of the office of veterans services. Cruickshank also refused to discuss the situation yesterday, referring all questions to 1st Lt. Jeff Hickman, state Department of Defense spokesman.

"I won't comment until I get all the facts," Cruickshank said.

Hickman said a company has been hired to assess the situation at the cemetery, and state officials hope that will be completed by October.

Hickman said the "ongoing problem" got worse with winter's heavy rains.

"I don't know why an assessment team wasn't chosen earlier," he said. "But since the rains hit, now there are more and more graves sinking, and they felt now they should do it right this time."

Additional state Department of Defense workers will be sent to help at the cemetery while the assessment is conducted, he said.

By contrast, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, administered under a federal program, has nearly four times the staff and less acreage to maintain, Hickman said.

"That's why the place looks excellent," he said. "Kane'ohe is an active cemetery, with interments every day. That staff is strewn thin. Plus there is a hiring freeze so, yes, staffing is a big issue."

Okamura said many private cemeteries won't repair a headstone that has sunk as much as 4 inches.

"They leave it alone because that is their norm," he said. "But our families expect us to have it level with the ground."

Okamura said anything less than level is unacceptable to him.

"It should be level with the surrounding ground," he said.