Badmovies.org Forum

Movies => Press Releases and Film News => Topic started by: Allhallowsday on December 08, 2011, 04:47:50 PM



Title: Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill: report
Post by: Allhallowsday on December 08, 2011, 04:47:50 PM
Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill: report 

http://news.yahoo.com/remains-274-us-troops-dumped-landfill-report-081234306.html (http://news.yahoo.com/remains-274-us-troops-dumped-landfill-report-081234306.html)


The US Air Force dumped the cremated, partial remains of at least 274 troops in a landfill before halting the secretive practice in 2008, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

The procedure was never formally authorized or disclosed to senior Pentagon officials, who conducted a review of the cremation policies of Dover Air Base -- the main point of entry for US war dead -- in 2008, the Post said.

Nor was the dumping ever disclosed to the families of the fallen troops, who had authorized the military to dispose of the remains in a respectful and dignified manner, the Post said, citing Air Force officials...


Title: Re: Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill: report
Post by: Andrew on December 08, 2011, 07:27:21 PM
To keep this in perspective, from what I read they are talking about portions of remains.  A sliver of flesh, a piece of bone.  Hospitals cremate things like this on a regular basis, such as the "medical waste" when an appendix is removed or a tumor.  As I understand it, the cremated hospital waste is also disposed of in landfills.

Burying the cremated remains as sea is definitely more dignified, but without more information about exactly what was cremated I cannot give you any good feedback on how I feel about the practice - and it is possible I knew someone affected by this. 

For more background, back around 2003 the company I was with received training as 0471 Marines - also known as personnel recovery.  When you recover a Marine who has been killed by IED, indirect fire, or a crash it is likely you will also recover lots of small pieces.  At the site we cannot always identify which little piece came from which Marine, and the DAFB morgue is unlikely to do DNA testing for each one.  Explosions can result in a lot of little pieces being associated with a recovery (even hundreds).


Title: Re: Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill: report
Post by: indianasmith on December 08, 2011, 09:15:48 PM
That sounds like an absolutely horrific job, Andrew, but God bless you for doing it.

As far as this episode goes, it sounds more like a bureacratic oversight than malicious neglect, but still, even a single mass grave with a plain white cross and no name would have more class than . . . a landfill.  Looks like someone would have thought of that.


Title: Re: Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill: report
Post by: Allhallowsday on December 08, 2011, 09:17:06 PM
I think this story, if true, is important.  I don't think disposal of any human remains in a landfill is appropriate.  This is not the first story about cavalier treatment of American servicemen's remains at Dover Air Base that I have seen. 


Title: Re: Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill: report
Post by: tracy on December 10, 2011, 12:37:38 PM
I find this disgusting. Our military dead deserve more respectful treatment.