Military knows why Bush should attend soldier's funerals.

[Cell Whitman]

This is the transcript of a CNN report on how a General will attend the funeral of any fallen soldier. Major Holly Gay, who has coordinated this for about 700 military funerals, explains why it is so important these Generals attend.

Someone should explain this to the Child King.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0510/26/lt.02.html

STARR (voice-over): So many funerals, so much grief. The Army has been at war in Iraq for nearly three years. And for those three years, it has been burying its dead.

Since the beginning of the war, the Army has assigned a general to each funeral, each time, to render final honors.

MAJ. GEN. WAYNE ERCK, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: This particular funeral, Lieutenant Colonel James, was in my division. He was a battalion commander. So I knew him personally. I knew the family personally. And this is the only place I would want to be today, right next to him.

STARR: It's an extraordinary mission for the nation's highest- ranking officers. More than 200 Army generals have now journeyed, often on a moment's notice, to towns across America, meeting widows, moms and dads they may not even know, telling families the Army is sorry for their loss.

MAJ. GEN. GALEN JACKMAN, U.S. ARMY: There is not a general officer in the United States Army who would not drop what they're doing to participate in a funeral.

STARR: Major General Galen Jackman escorted former First Lady Nancy Reagan through President Reagan's funeral. He has now attended four funerals here at Arlington. This senior officers says the heartbreak of death so young is tough for everyone.

JACKMAN: You see them, they're lance corporals and sergeants and private first classes. And so most of these young and women are probably anywhere from about 18 to 23 years old.

STARR: It begins with a phone call from Major Holly Gay, whose job is to make sure there is a general for every family who wants one there. She says it's the hardest job she has ever had.

(on camera): How many funerals have you coordinated for?

MAJ. HOLLY GAY, U.S. ARMY, GENERAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT OFFICE: Too many. Too many.

STARR: Give me a ballpark.

GAY: Well, you know, if it's been about 15 months, over 700.

STARR: The names and faces of the fallen are very personal, even after 2,000 deaths.

STF. SGT. TERRELL GANT, U.S. ARMY, GENERAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT OFFICE: You see some of these young soldiers being in the Army for a year, a couple of months and you see what's actually, how -- the sacrifice they have made and you just always think it could be you.

STARR: One reason for the effort? It keeps senior officers in touch with the grief of a life lost.

GAY: When you go to the funeral, you understand the sacrifices that the soldiers and their families are going through.

STARR: Confronting the last full measure of devotion. The generals say they will keep coming to each funeral for each soldier, for each family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Daryn, we talked to a number of army generals who have don't missions very quietly, very privately. You remember Brigadier General Mark Kimet (ph) from the podium in Baghdad. All of those very public press conferences. Well, he very quietly has done a number of these funeral ceremonies, and he told us one of the toughest moments for him, he was moving down the line of relatives at the grave site, thanking them for the service of their fallen soldier. All the relatives, all the family members, he said, turned and thanked him for coming. He's a pretty tough customer, and he said it was one of the toughest moments in his army career -- Daryn.

KAGAN: A lot of brave souls out there and a lot of special families as well. Barbara, thank you.

http://cellwhitman.blogspot.com/

[Mnemosyne]

1. Amen.

:kick:

[KBlagburn]

2. Thank You For Posting This....from a DS vet

[Cell Whitman]

3. Thank you for your service KBlagburn

My Bushcult friends think I want him to go to a funerals just so it will draw attention to the deaths and what the war costs so the nation will awaken. That may be true in a way but the post tells why I really want him to go.

So maybe he will snap out of his child safety bubble and see what his actions have brought about, maybe wake him up.

Somebody needs to make him understand war isn't just another "situation" his daddy or his daddy's billionaire buddies can get him out of...our military is strong but if the Child King continues as is - I fear he will break them.

[Cell Whitman]

4. pre-Halloween bump. n/t

.