Prior to this war, it was a tradition to show the caskets being removed from the cargo planes at Dover A.F.B. It showed how many soldiers lost their lives in combat. I served in Vietnam and when I heard the casuality rate, it was just a number. When I returned home and actually saw the caskets being removed from the planes it changed my views on the war. I know that President Bush had something to do with it, but I don't know why he did it. Does anyone actually know why his administration did away with this tradition?
2007-10-03 10:56:05 · 13 answers · asked by John 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
George W. stated that he does not want the media allowed on the military bases, ie Dover AFB, where most of the bodies are returned too prior to them being turned over too their respective family.
This is an insult to the American people in my old military mind.
Also GW has never attended any military members funeral.
2007-10-03 11:05:02 · answer #1 · answered by Robert W 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
When is the last time you talked about death, whether others or your own inevitable one. We are a death denying society. Maybe it's for the same reason we don't raise taxes to pay for the war or have a draft. People would be outraged and awake from their deep sleep about the realities of the mess Bush is making of things. They would insist of ending this war asap. As long as we defer the payments to our children and grandchildren, who notices that we are sinking into trillions of dollars of debt. Who notices if you hide the caskets. We can pretend we are not at war and it's business as usual. Shhh you might wake up those living in denial of the horrors of the reality of war.
2007-10-03 11:20:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
During Vietnam the caskets didn't go into Dover. They came into Travis Air Base and were transported to the Armed Forces Mortuary at the Oakland Army Base. I was the Navy Mortuary Affairs officer with responsibility for all Naval Service deaths in the Pacific Theater for a three-year period.
As for the current policy, it makes sense. Presidents Reagan and Clinton both used their visits to Dover in connection with the arrival of mortal remains as "photo ops".
2007-10-03 11:05:03 · answer #3 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If people continue to think war is a video game, no big deal. If they hide the caskets, only immediate friends and family are affected, and the american sheeple continue to graze happily along, listening and swallowing the lies from the whitehouse.
2007-10-03 15:51:30 · answer #4 · answered by Sp II Guzzi 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure but in my opinion the government just wasn't media savvy enough to put a stop to it during the Vietnam war but they have damn sure come around since then.
2007-10-03 11:26:30 · answer #5 · answered by skribble 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would any one want to see caskets? The national news gives us every days loses and the local news gives us the death of anyone from around our homes. I think televising caskets is a little on the morbid side. If I had come back in a box I would not have wanted to be on the news.
2007-10-03 11:03:45 · answer #6 · answered by oldhippypaul 6 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Maybe they just do not want there families to see their dead son, daughter, father, or mother casket for the first time on national television. Maybe they do not want the bones of the dead to be used for propaganda.
2007-10-03 12:40:42 · answer #7 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
For over fifty years the "law" states they are not to be shown . This is supposed to be for the respect of the solders and their families. The government hasn't been enforcing this very well.
2007-10-03 11:18:18 · answer #8 · answered by Robert F 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Its called censorship, they don't want to demotivate the simple
They tried it in Canada when the first of the dead returned home.
It was quickly stopped ("too American some said, no censorship in Canada")
Now the highway on which they drive from the airport has been renamed "Highway of Heroes" in their honour
2007-10-03 11:04:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
What possible good could come from it? Oh and since when was this a tradition? It didn't start until vietnam so how is it a tradition?
2007-10-03 11:00:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 5⤋