The Pentagon's new War Casualty Honor Guard / flag-draped casket photos

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB161/index.htm

PENTAGON RELEASES MORE PHOTOS
OF WAR CASUALTY HONOR GUARDS

Freedom of Information Lawsuit Removes Secrecy for Flag-Draped Casket Ceremonies

Pentagon Agrees to Process Further FOIA Requests,
Plaintiff Agrees to Dismiss Suit

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 161

August 4 , 2005

July 20, 2005 release
High resolution (16.5 MB zip file): http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB161/7-20-05%20release.zip

[hippiechick]

1. This is a dumb question, but ...

...are they being launched overboard ?
And left to 'float' ??

:wow: That's just WRONG, imho.

[Obamarama]

2. No...there are holes drilled into the caskets so they will sink

Not a dumb question! Actually it you look closely at the lid of the casket, you can see the holes.

[Lerkfish]

3. ever been a pallbearer?

caskets are HEAVY.

I don't think any floating will be a problem.

[acmejack]

6. Actually we had one float off once.

We were spared a painful decision when it finally sank on it's own. I was not at the ceremony, but on watch topside. The log reflected that we were "maneuvering at various courses and speeds attempting to close with floating casket."

After that we made sure they had both holes and additional weight so they would sink properly.

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Weight has nothing to do with it

the ship they are on is a lot heavy and it has no trouble floating.

[Lerkfish]

10. I stand corrected.

[rocktivity]

4. Burial at sea--I believe it's a standard procedure

but no doubt the militarily correct DU-ers around here will be able to explain fully.

:headbang:
rocknation

[ewagner]

5. When did the Navy

start using caskets for burials at sea?

I don't remember them using them before....say....1972-73.

[acmejack]

8. Never buried anyone without one.

I was in the Navy in the era you discuss and we buried people frequently. Of course these were people who had expired naturally, fortunately we never lost a crew member.

[uppityperson]

7. Look at the kids in the third picture.

Holding the edge of the flag. They are a bunch of kids, mostly. How the hell are the ones that survive physically going to survive mentally. Think of the children and weep. Thanks for the pictures.