Honoring the fallen, quietly

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usnews/20040126/wl_usnews/honoringthefallenquietly&cid=930&ncid=1501

There are no reporters on the tarmac at Dover Air Force Base. The public is not allowed to witness the military tradition of "receiving the remains." Instead, there are soldiers, roused at dark hours to stand in the confines of what seems like a secret as the dead are brought home.

I am one of the soldiers. Nearly every day we learn of another death in Iraq. In our collective consciousness, we tally the statistics of dead and wounded. The number is over 500 now. But none of our conjurings are as real and tangible as the Stars and Stripes folded perfectly over a coffin cradling one of those statistics on his or her way home.

It does not matter where somebody stands politically on the war, but I believe that all who have an opinion should know the cost of that opinion. When a soldier dies in a foreign land, his or her remains are returned to the United States for their final rest. The remains arrive in Dover, Del., without fanfare. No family member is present. There are no young children to feel sad or confused. Just a small group of soldiers waiting to do their duty and honor the fallen.

"Dover flights" are met by soldiers from the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, the storied Old Guard. They are true soldiers, assigned to an esteemed regiment, but it is a unit defined by polish, not mud. It seems that they quietly long to be tested with their comrades "over there." But it is clear to me as I watch them that they find immense pride in honoring their country this way.

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[mike1963]

1. I do not often shed tears. Reading this, I did.

;(

[Mari333]

2. This SHOULD BE ALL OVER THE NEWS

The military families are furious. The news has blacked out the truth.
Show the coffins of our loved ones who die in Iraq for NOTHING.
Show them. Show them and make them real faces and names.
The US public will never come out of their denial until they do.

[Solly Mack]

3. Yes

just yes

[Hogarth]

4. It's about time ...

... that someone reported from Dover, and I personally appreciate the way in which you did so. It was a very important message--one that doesn't sell soap on the networks, but one that needs to be shared, and you did it so well.

The media can keep count of the death toll as a purely statistical exercise, and they can do it impassionately while sharing time with Scott Peterson and Kobe Bryant, but truly important news comes from people like you.

My son has recently been yanked into active duty and is currently serving at Fort Dix in anticipation of a very long tour in Iraq. He's an M.P., and the handwriting is pretty much on the wall. It'll be a matter of days before he's sent over there. In the meantime we wait for phone calls that never come, let alone mail.

Anyway, I've digressed and simply want to thank you for doing a better job of reporting than can be done by DiTech-sponsored lackeys (I hope I spelled that right. Whenever that annoying bastard hits the screen, I press mute.).

I guess the best we can do is wish our loved ones the best and pray that everyone else gets what they deserve.

May they all return safely

[Sacajawea]

5. Thank you, Don, for reminding us about this.

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