It's a matter of dignity:A father felt his son's sacrifice deserved more than a flight, forklift

[babylonsister]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4694776.html

April 7, 2007, 12:37AM
It's a matter of dignity
A father felt his son's sacrifice deserved more than a commercial flight and a forklift

By BILL POOVEY
Associated Press


In an about-face by the U.S. government four years into the war in Iraq, America's fallen troops are being brought back to their families aboard charter jets instead of ordinary commercial flights, and the caskets are being met by honor guards in white gloves instead of baggage handlers with forklifts.

That change — which took effect quietly in January and applies to members of the U.S. military killed in Afghanistan, too — came after a campaign waged by a father who was aghast to learn that his son's body was going to be unloaded like so much luggage.

John Holley, an Army veteran from San Diego, said an airline executive told him that was the "most expeditious" way to get the body home.

"I said, 'That's not going to happen with my son. That's not how my son is coming home,'" said Holley, whose son, Spc. Matthew Holley, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005. "If it was 'expeditious' to deliver them in garbage trucks, would you do that?"

Kalitta Charters of Ypsilanti, Mich., won the Pentagon contract to bring the war dead home, and has returned 143 bodies since Jan. 1.

About 3,500 Americans have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before the new law was passed by Congress, the dead that arrived from overseas at the military mortuary in Dover, Del., were then typically flown to the commercial airport nearest their families.

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[EFerrari]

1. I can't even believe I'm reading this.

:(

[blogslut]

2. Me either

n/t

[babylonsister]

3. Hell, I knew it was going on. I remember caskets being brought home in

the dead of night purposefully, so no one would be the wiser. I didn't know the ways and means, other than the military.:-(
If ONE father managed to do this, finally, that's a good thing, but doesn't say much for anyone else, especially the media who should have been demanding it.

[EFerrari]

5. Oh, I did, too. From the days of the now defunct warblogging.com

who was on top of this from the first.

But, I guess I can't believe that ALL THESE YEARS have gone by, and all those soldiers. :(

[babylonsister]

6. What I find remarkable is that I heard it via Faux first: and you are right,

way too much time has been allowed/enabled for this to be happening without Americans actually seeing what's going on. I hope tunes might change, though if they haven't by now, I fear that 28-30% have swallowed the shit Cheney/Rush have fed them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=595897&mesg_id=595897

[EFerrari]

7. The numbers are staggering. We barely count uniformed

losses let alone Iraqis, let alone the mercs.

:(

[babylonsister]

9. There were many articles about Iraqis, numbers, etc., last week, I

posted them, and got nary a response on DU. I also got a DUer asking me why the apathy towards Iraqis. I don't have an answer, other than everyone is so intent on our immediate US problems.
But the DUer was right; the Iraqis who haven't been killed are fleeing, but not to the US, because they're Iraqis=potential terrorists. And there are thousands, if not millions fearing for their lives.
We aren't doing a damn thing to help even though we've created their homelessness. :cry:

[rainbow4321]

20. Remember back in the very first few weeks of chimp's war...

When the news that an American soldier died was actually labeled BREAKING news on the daytime cable news shows and the anchors looked somber, etc... Now the news of a death is thrown in after Anna Nicole news and they read the number of deaths/injured without even missing a beat, no emotion or alarm.
Fucking lap dog$, all of them.

[calimary]

8. I remember that. NOBODY to meet them on the tarmac and give them

a dignified greeting. No family allowed. Certainly no photographs - if you tried to take pictures it was your neck on the line, job-wise.

DISGRACEFUL. I remember Clinton met the bodies on the tarmac. Where's this bozo-in-chief that "runs things" now???

[EFerrari]

10. That this incompetent was allowed to take office

is the biggest betrayal of the republic ever.

He wasn't elected once, and he continued true to form from there.

Our country is being run by a mob and we need to take it back. The treatment of our service people is the best example of this mob's disregard for us at every level.

[calimary]

11. Agreed. That's why IMPEACHMENT is so urgently important.

We can't just say it's "off the table." NO.

NO.

NO.

NO.

NO.

It has to be more than just on the table. It has to be Priority ONE.

[EFerrari]

12. Send anyone over, calimary. I NEED people from Nancy's

district for a meeting 4/27.

www.sfimpeachnow.com

:hi:

[calimary]

16. Well, I am NOT giving up. EVERY time I call ANYBODY in Congress,

whether House or Senate, Democrat or republi-CON, leader or not, knuckledragger, moderate, or progressive. I ALWAYS mention IMPEACHMENT. Mine or somebody else's. Doesn't matter. WHOEVER it is, if I see something that gives me reason to call somebody, I ALWAYS throw that in SOMEWHERE during the call.

'Cause you gotta remember: WHOEVER they are, WHICHEVER chamber is their turf, they NEED to hear this. They NEED to hear the drumbeat. They finally heard the roar in November, and evidently, judging from the response both verbal and action-oriented, they've understood what that roar means.

We at one time might have thought we'd never get power back.

We at one point thought NOBODY would even dare bring up the word IMPEACHMENT, much less a reason (or several reasons) for it.

We at one point thought NOBODY was ever gonna wake up to bush's incompetence or deceptions.

All those assumptions have gone by the wayside.

I certainly am not going to give up.

[EFerrari]

17. I'm sponsoring a meeting with Nancy's staff this month.

If you trip over anyone in her district, I need their warm, impeachment demanding bodies.

:)

[calimary]

24. Damn. I'm down here in So Cal. Wish I could be up there. I wish

I could speak to Mme. Speaker myself. All I can do is urge my own guy down here, and anybody else I call to lobby about this.

[babylonsister]

14. I don't know; there's all kinds of excuses not to do it, and lots of people

agreeing:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3202711&mesg_id=3202711

PS Bon Soir!

[roguevalley]

23. it gave his dad a few minutes of focus on something besides his son

being gone in this abomination of a lie. Bless him for helping others too.

[Suich]

4. I can't either.

Pathetic...

[Amonester]

13. FOUR YEARS AFTER!! WHERE THE F**K DID ALL THE BILLIONS...

go???? :wtf:

(Forgive the caps but reading this just took the cake!) :mad:
:cry:
:cry:
:cry:
:cry:
:cry:

:grr:

Don't tell me, I have no doubt where they R...

In Off-shore Tax-free $afe$. That's where they R!!

Maybe in some of darth's helliburton subsidiary's accounts with no furnitures!!

When will someone in Congress hold these crooks accountable???

WHEN???? :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[JohnnyLib2]

15. Recommended. And someday we might restore dignity to

the White House as well.

[napi21]

18. I don't mean to diminsh this thread by inserting politics, but you know

who could actually RRING dignity back to the WH is Edwards. Think about just the things he and Elizabeth have done in the recent weeks! Basically they both said the hell with this cancer that's trying to mess up our lives andour plans for the US. We're goinna lick it! John also was the first candidate to say NO to faux newsand their invitation to a debate. Just yesterday, he contactedthe Black caucus and said he would be happy to join the campaign they're sponsoring in January, but hewill not join the one they are doing with Faux. He will not lend dignity to a network and give them n appearance of ligitimate balance!

I think we all know John would never let this disgrace happen to our fallen warriors either.

[babylonsister]

21. I don't think anyone with an ounce of morality or conscience would

have let it happen to begin with; how did we ever get stuck with this vermin?

[EFerrari]

19. kick

[peekaloo]

22. k&r. Another sad example of how Bu$hCo supported the troops.

[appleannie1]

25. I was on one of those flights

When we landed we were met by fire trucks, police cars and ambulances. We were escorted down the runway to the gate. The pilot asked that we pay honor to the hero that had returned home. The baggage handlers quickly removed baggage from the front compartment, then wheeled a conveyor type thing to the door and the casket was pushed out. Firemen, Police and 2 motorcyclists lifted it from there to a waiting ambulance. The people on the plane all stood, faced that direction and either saluted or placed their hands over their hearts. When we were able to leave the plane, their reverence turned to anger. Not only for the way he was brought home but because he had been sent to die in the first place.

[cascagraphic]

26. K&R