Public outraged over Air Force dumping of remains
By Joseph Neese
(RNN) - The Air Force acknowledged Thursday that the incinerated partial remains of 274
American soldiers were secretly dumped in a Virginia landfill between 2003 and 2008.
"It is certainly not the way we would have done it looking back," Lt. Gen. Darrell Jones,
deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said to reporters at an
afternoon news conference.
Public outrage ran wild across social media websites after the Washington Post
first broke the story Dec. 7.
"Whether it is bodies or ashes is immaterial," Roy Pierce wrote on KCBD's Facebook page.
"They are human remains and deserve [a] decent burial. People, particularly soldiers that
served their country, should never be thrown out with the trash."
Speaking from the Pentagon, Jones said the remains belonged to soldiers whose family
members had already reached emotional closure after their loved one's death, and
had made the "tough decision" to sign forms saying they did not wish to know if additional
body parts were discovered.
The families were promised an "appropriate disposition," according to Jones. Portions
of soldiers' bodies, most often pieces of soft tissue or bone fragments, were cremated at
the Dover Mortuary. Those ashes were then incinerated.
Any residual materials were then turned over to a private contractor and disposed of
according to "common industry practice at the time," Jones said.
While the practice was common, according to the Pentagon, there was no contractual
stipulation that the remains be placed in the landfill.
Jones said the Air Force ended the practice in 2008, thanks to an internal review made
by the mortuary's leadership.
"The Air Force stepped in and said there is a better way to do this," Jones said.
Cremated remains are now placed in sea-salt urns, whose solemn retirement at sea
are coordinated by the U.S. Navy. The first retirement of 14 urns took place on one
naval ship in 2011.
According to the Post, Air Force officials had no plans to notify the soldiers' families
as to how their loved ones' remains were buried. Jones said that plan stands
because to notify the families now would go against their wishes.
"They have closure," he said. "To open up that wound would be cruel."
Although a 24-hour hotline has been set up for family members who may have
concerns about Dover Mortuary, Jones said none of the 274 families has yet to
come forward.
"It causes us great pain to think we have brought suffering to a family," Jones said.
The Pentagon is willing to apologize to any family who comes forward, and will
tell them "absolutely everything" they know, according to Jones.
The Post also revealed Thursday that Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was aware
of the practice and "comfortable with the way the Air Force has handled this,"
according to its source, Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.
The public, however, is outraged.
"This is one of the worst things I have ever heard," Ashley Felde wrote on KOLD's
Facebook page. "I'm beyond disgusted."
Several recommended that the responsible parties be forced to visit each
soldier's family to explain their actions. Others called for legal repercussions.
"They should be prosecuted. This is a crime," Shari McMahon wrote on WLOX's
Facebook page.
Another WLOX reader proposed his own solution to honor the bodies of the fallen.
"I think the government should buy the landfill and turn it into a national
memorial/monument honoring those buried (disposed of) there," Jeff Gatton said.
Copyright 2011 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
