Remains of 274 US Troops Dumped In virginia Landfill Between 2003 and 2008

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Thursday December 08, 2011 · 9:27 AM PST

2011/12/08 · 09:27

I don't know if this has already been diaried, but oh my god, this just makes me sick. Just when you think people can't sink any lower, something like this happens:

Last month, the Washington Post reported that the United States Air Force, while overseeing the Dover Air Force Base mortuary that receives the bodies of troops killed overseas, had cremated and disposed some remains and sent them to a landfill in King George County, Virginia. At the time, neither military officials nor Post reporters could verify the number of body parts that had been handled in such a way.
But after combing through military and mortuary records, the Post found that partial remains of at least 274 dead American troops were sent to the landfill, and far more unidentifiable body parts were disposed of in the same manner:

(link to article at Think Progress)

I am nearly speechless at this shocking display of disrespect for these troops and their families. If these were the children of rich people, would they be treated this way? Most dogs receive a more respectful burial than these poor folks did.

The Air Force had made no plans to inform the families about what had been done with the bodies of their loved ones--one widow had been asking them for four years about what had happened to her husband's body after she found out it was not placed in his casket. (Link to MSNBC article.)

According to this same MSNBC article, the Pentagon apparently thinks it's too much trouble to go and find the remains they dumped in the landfill, and give them a proper burial.

So this is what our soldiers could get for laying down their lives for this country. I can only shake my head and weep for what this country is turning into--how can people be so depraved and heartless?

Sorry for the short diary--but you can read up on this at the links I provided (if you didn't know about it already.) I think our congresscritters need to get an earful over this--and that's how I'm going to spend my time this morning. Whoever was responsible for making the decision to do this to our troops should go to jail.

And just so anyone not reading the articles I linked to knows--this practice was going on between 203 and 2008, so all this happened under the Bush administration. Typical display of their brand of hypocrisy.

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Remains of 274 US Troops Dumped In virginia Landfill Between 2003 and 2008

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