WaPo: Remains of War Dead Dumped in Landfill

[Winehole23]

The Dover Air Force Base mortuary for years disposed of portions of troops’ remains by cremating them and dumping the ashes in a Virginia landfill, a practice that officials have since abandoned in favor of burial at sea.

The Dover, Del., mortuary, the main point of entry for the nation’s war dead and the target of federal investigations of alleged mishandling of remains, engaged in the practice from 2003 to 2008, according to Air Force officials. The manner of disposal was not disclosed to relatives of fallen service members.

Air Force officials acknowledged the practice Wednesday in response to inquiries from The Washington Post. They said the procedure was limited to fragments or portions of body parts that were unable to be identified at first or were later recovered from the battlefield, and which family members had said could be disposed of by the military.

Lt. Gen. Darrell G. Jones, the Air Force’s deputy chief for personnel, said the body parts were cremated, then incinerated, and then taken to a landfill by a military contractor. He likened the procedure to the disposal of medical waste.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...M6M_story.html

[AFBlue]

So the family members were notified and gave permission to the military to dispose of the remains as they see fit? Not that I see this as good publicity for the military, but I don't necessarily see wrongdoing. If they intentionally misled the family members about what was going to happen with the remains, or if they disposed of the remains without the permission of a family member, then it's a different story.

That last comment by the three-star likening the procedure to the disposal of medical waste though...ouch.

[boutons_deux]

"were cremated, then incinerated"

what?