Headstones in Arlington National Cemetery last March. The new online database should make it easier to find specific graves.

After coming under intense criticism for unmarked graves, misplaced records and mishandling of some remains, the cemetery has created a database of 259,978 grave sites, niches and markers. The hope is that family members and the public will use the data.

Arlington National Cemetery, which has come under intense criticism in recent years because of unmarked graves, misplaced records and mishandling of some veterans' cremated remains, today launched an online database (and apps) that it hopes will allow "family members and the public to find gravesites and explore Arlington's rich history."

The desktop version is here. Apps are available for:

-- Apple products

-- Android devices

-- BlackBerrys

According to the cemetery:

"The Army photographed 259,978 gravesites, niches and markers using a custom-built smart phone application and instituted a rigorous process to review each headstone photo with existing cemetery records and other historical documents. The end result was the creation of a single, verifiable and authoritative database of all those laid to rest at Arlington that is linked to the Arlington's digital mapping system."

The database will be updated going forward.

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