Pictures of US Soldiers

[Texsox]

 

I somehow feel we are sweeping their sacrifice under the rug by not showing them. I think they should be recognized for their sacrifice and not forgotten.

 

Link

 

Curtains Ordered for Media Coverage of Returning Coffins

 

By Dana Milbank

Tuesday, October 21, 2003; Page A23

 

Since the end of the Vietnam War, presidents have worried that their military actions would lose support once the public glimpsed the remains of U.S. soldiers arriving at air bases in flag-draped caskets.

 

To this problem, the Bush administration has found a simple solution: It has ended the public dissemination of such images by banning news coverage and photography of dead soldiers' homecomings on all military bases.

 

In March, on the eve of the Iraq war, a directive arrived from the Pentagon at U.S. military bases. "There will be no arrival ceremonies for, or media coverage of, deceased military personnel returning to or departing from Ramstein [Germany] airbase or Dover [Del.] base, to include interim stops," the Defense Department said, referring to the major ports for the returning remains.

[DBAHO]

Should be up to the families in my opinion, gotta respect their privacy and wishes.

[Queen Prawn]

Should be up to the families in my opinion, gotta respect their privacy and wishes.

Those are my thoughts on this subject as well.

[southsider2k5]

Should be up to the families in my opinion, gotta respect their privacy and wishes.

Ditto. Who are we to decide? I know I wouldn't want my son or daughter used as a pawn in a political campaign either way.

[Texsox]

Should be up to the families in my opinion, gotta respect their privacy and wishes.

I think these are more the "in route" stops.

 

Yesterday I was having breakfast with a friend and the funeral procession for Sgt. Christopher Ramirez who was killed a couple weeks ago drove slowly past. If I hadn't been there, and later read the news accounts, I doubt I would ever have paused and said a prayer for him and his family.

 

Near the steps stood several members of America’s Last Patrol in green fatigues at parade rest.

 

At the command, "Group! AttenTION," they all snapped to attention.

 

The honor guard somberly removed the casket from the hearse and led it toward the church.

 

"Present Arms!" came the order, and the two rows of uniformed people saluted.

 

Then came the clack-clack-clack of black polished shoes of the honor guard as they moved into the church. The family looked on. A young boy fidgeted as his father put his hands on his shoulders; the fallen hero’s mother remained composed, a young man leaning close. Miguel Ramirez, Sgt. Ramirez’s brother, held the hand of his wife, Brenda, and looked down as he and the other relatives filed in behind the casket.

 

When we send our servicement and women to fight, we need to be prepared for the consiquences. We should never, ever, send our military into combat without understanding the sacrifice was are asking them to make. Only when we can look a soldier in the eye and say, we need you to risk your life, and possibly die for this cause, should we ever send a single member. We must accept the fact that when our elected leaders send men into combat it is on all of our hands. We are asking them to go. We are telling them they need to make that sacrifice. We elected the officials making the decision. It is our decision. To then shield ourselves from the ugly facts of our decisions, is gutless.

[DBAHO]

Just saw a news report sayin an anti war activist had posted those pics on a web - site.

[Texsox]

Just saw a news report sayin an anti war activist had posted those pics on a web - site. 

Actually the site I saw them at was a conservative war supporter. This seems to cross both spectrums of pro-war and anti-war groups. Looking at the US Cole when we were innocent victims, seeing the coffins arriving would support the going to war postion. "See what they did?" then when we begin fighting, and the dead are a result of our decision, the hawks do not want them shown.

 

I agree intruding on the funeral is a family decision, but the men arriving back at a military base seems different. It wasn't that long ago that the military actually encouraged coverage and drilled teams for proper respect and dignity.

[soxfaninbeverly]

If it was me, I wouldn't mind my picture being public record.

 

 

As for my family, I don't think they would mind either.

 

 

[Texsox]

If it was me, I wouldn't mind my picture being public record.

 

 

As for my family, I don't think they would mind either.

 

 

And I pray it is never you

[southsider2k5]

And I pray it is never you 

Amen to that. Stay Safe Bro!!! (can't say that enough)

[Texsox]

OK, now I just saw an image that makes me respect the government's positions. Damn, show the pictures, dignify the soldiers, but do not photoshop them into something else. Do not use them to prove a political point. Now you are disrespecting our service men and women and this pisses me off.

[Goldmember]

i think there is nothing wrong with showing their flag draped coffins but if for some reason a family disagrees then don't take or publish the pic...

[SuperSteve]

No.

[cwsox]

not showing the coffins is like going shopping with a credit card and imagining fantasy like that the bill will never come

 

if one is to honestly weigh the course of an action, the full costs must be considered - and honored

 

war without acknowledging the human costs is obscene

 

recognizing and honoring the dead is the moral option

[LowerCaseRepublican]

The pictures posted on the net are due to a Freedom of Information Act request by Russ Kick of the Memory Hole (www.memoryhole.org) The site isn't anti-war but it is a site that puts up information that any group tries to hide etc. He just FOIA's a lot of different documents and posts them up for the public to use. He's not anti-war as much as he is solely a 1st Amendment activist.

[IlliniBob72]

not showing the coffins is like going shopping with a credit card and imagining fantasy like that the bill will never come

 

if one is to honestly weigh the course of an action, the full costs must be considered - and honored

 

war without acknowledging the human costs is obscene

 

recognizing and honoring the dead is the moral option

Let's not confuse this issue with recognizing and honoring the dead. People who want to publish pictures of flag-draped coffins are not interested in recognizing the dead. All the soldiers who have given their lives are honored. I know that whenever a local soldier from here loses his or her life, their picture is in the newspaper and several stories are written about them and their sacrifice. If anyone wants to learn more about those who have sacrificed their lives, the information is readily accessible. The death toll is published every day, so it isn't like the cost of the war is being hidden from the public.

 

So tell me, when the pictures of these coffins were published by whomever showed them, were the identities of the soldiers inside also given? I don't know the answer, but I strongly doubt it. Tell me, has these photos been put to the use of honoring those deceased soldiers or has it been used for political purposes? The pictures will be used to create political hay, which is just the opposite of honoring those soldiers.

[LowerCaseRepublican]

IlliniBob www.thememoryhole.org has the pictures.

 

It just says what they are, the gallery of 300+ photos and the story of his FOIA request to get the photos. It's not anything political, just a source for people to see these photographs.

[IlliniBob72]

IlliniBob  www.thememoryhole.org has the pictures.

 

It just says what they are, the gallery of 300+ photos and the story of his FOIA request to get the photos.  It's not anything political, just a source for people to see these photographs.

I understand that, Apu. I wasn't talking about him, specifically. I don't know what his motivation was. I will check it out, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that they aren't being shown in a memorial sense. I'd be interested to find out how many times they are being shown in a respectful way (if more than one site is in fact showing them) and how many are being used for political purposes. Tex has already stated that he's seen the photos doctored. Doesn't sound respectful.

[cwsox]

I respectfully sumbit that the administration which has banned the photographs of the flag draped coffins is the one using the dead for political purposes - they are very aware of the visual those pictures convey, far more impact than the occasional story -

 

please do not try and tell us that the evil "political" ones are the anti-war crowd while the noble above politics people are those in the political operations of the White House who re-issued the rescinded rule of Bush 1 to limit the cost of war from being reported by banning the potent pictures of the bodies of the hnored dead being returned with full honors accorded