False Report
I recieved an email from CJ at "A Soldier's Perspective" today that the preceeding post regarding the disrespect of the soldier's coffin is completely false. I guess WHAM-TV in Rochester didn't check their facts before posting it on their web site. Does that really surprise anyone??? CJ says it was debunked as impossible to occur because of the size and weight of a military casket. The following is the update from the WHAM-TV site on this story.
On a personal note, I used to be a newsman, in radio news. I used to be proud to do what I did. I'm not proud of my profession anymore. Most newspeople, you notice I don't call them journalists, have sunk so low as to be below contempt.
Vets React to Coffin UproarLast Update: 12/2/2006 3:48:23 PM
Chalonda Roberts (Rochester, N.Y.) -
A defense department investigation found that the army followed proper procedures when it unloaded the coffin containing the remains of a fallen soldier at the Rochester airport. Witnesses had said they saw the coffin placed in a cart alongside regular luggage. The defense department statement said that at no time were the soldier's remains moved with other luggage or baggage. This quickly raised a debate about the procedures the military takes when transporting fallen soldiers. Joe Englert served in the army during WW II, over 60 years ago. He said it's a mistake the way the military recently handled the transport of a fallen soldier. Officials at the airport indicated that they are not usually notified unless there are special requests from family. "It's a tragedy for family and any decent individual to see such a thoughtless way to bring this man home," Englert said. We spoke with one veteran who agreed with the process of transporting a fallen soldier, but said the airport and the public should be notified. Vietnam Veteran Bob Webster said, "If we have the ability to greet every walking soldier, then we should do the same for every soldier that has to be carried home." Webster said people shouldn't be upset with the process of carrying a soldier home. "I just think it's the war coming home to us," he said. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks and several state lawmakers have requested the department of defense include in its policy the practice of notifying airports whenever airlines transfer a soldier’s remains. *** L.A. Arsht, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for MC&FP, said in a statement, "The Department of Defense has worked closely with the Air Transport Association and members of the airline industry to ensure that the fallen are treated with dignity and respect. We continue to work… to get a better understanding of the events in question…to ensure that the fallen are handled with the reverence, care, and dignity befitting them."
On a personal note, I used to be a newsman, in radio news. I used to be proud to do what I did. I'm not proud of my profession anymore. Most newspeople, you notice I don't call them journalists, have sunk so low as to be below contempt.
Vets React to Coffin UproarLast Update: 12/2/2006 3:48:23 PM
Chalonda Roberts (Rochester, N.Y.) -
A defense department investigation found that the army followed proper procedures when it unloaded the coffin containing the remains of a fallen soldier at the Rochester airport. Witnesses had said they saw the coffin placed in a cart alongside regular luggage. The defense department statement said that at no time were the soldier's remains moved with other luggage or baggage. This quickly raised a debate about the procedures the military takes when transporting fallen soldiers. Joe Englert served in the army during WW II, over 60 years ago. He said it's a mistake the way the military recently handled the transport of a fallen soldier. Officials at the airport indicated that they are not usually notified unless there are special requests from family. "It's a tragedy for family and any decent individual to see such a thoughtless way to bring this man home," Englert said. We spoke with one veteran who agreed with the process of transporting a fallen soldier, but said the airport and the public should be notified. Vietnam Veteran Bob Webster said, "If we have the ability to greet every walking soldier, then we should do the same for every soldier that has to be carried home." Webster said people shouldn't be upset with the process of carrying a soldier home. "I just think it's the war coming home to us," he said. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks and several state lawmakers have requested the department of defense include in its policy the practice of notifying airports whenever airlines transfer a soldier’s remains. *** L.A. Arsht, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for MC&FP, said in a statement, "The Department of Defense has worked closely with the Air Transport Association and members of the airline industry to ensure that the fallen are treated with dignity and respect. We continue to work… to get a better understanding of the events in question…to ensure that the fallen are handled with the reverence, care, and dignity befitting them."
posted by PJ at 7:26 PM
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