Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie

December 9, 2011 | Filed under Military,Scandals | Posted by

There’s a hell of an ugly story going around involving the military and the remains of fallen troops. Apparently partial remains of several hundred of our men and women were disposed of in appalling ways — landfills and dumped into the sea. And most people who hear about this are outraged. I know I was thoroughly ripshit, and I heard a retired Army Colonel (David Hunt — he was filling in for Boston talk show host Howie Carr, and he’s a frequent Fox News contributor) talking about how every general of three stars and above should resign.

 

Then I heard some more details, and while I’m still angry as hell, I’m not quite as bloodthirsty as I was. These weren’t bodies, these were partial remains. Further, the families of these fallen troops had already been presented with remains, and signed papers saying they did not want to receive any more remains, and the military could dispose of them as they saw fit without informing the families.

 

Maybe I watch too much “Bones,” but I immediately saw a scenario in my mind.

 

“Sir, we’ve identified another mystery bone. It’s a finger bone from Corporal X.”

“OK, what’s his status?”

“We turned over remains accounting for 95% of his body to his family a year ago for burial. That gave them their closure. They signed off on the paperwork, saying they didn’t want a steady trickle of more body parts over the next few years, and I can’t blame them.”

“Me, neither. Put the bone in the box of unclaimed body parts for disposal.”

 

Now, what should have been done was a quiet, dignified disposal of the bones. Perhaps a corner of Arlington National Cemetery could be used — a deep, unmarked hole where the bones could be placed, then gradually filled in, or something like that. Whoever signed off on just tossing them in the trash needs to be drummed out of the service. And if it was a civilian, then fired and banned from future military service.

 

But it wasn’t quite the outrage I first heard about.

 

Corrections: The remains in question were incinerated before disposal, and I meant “barred from further government employ.” Sorry, folks.

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Posted by on December 9, 2011.
Filed under Military, Scandals.


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  • herddog505

    I suppose that it’s no different than battlefield surgeons disposing of body parts in a (ahem) casual manner.

    Still, the idea of tossing remains – ANYBODY’S* remains – into a landfill is pretty damned offensive.  Did it not occur to SOMEBODY to find a more dignified method?

    —

    (*) Well, almost anybody’s.  I can think of some people whose remains should go into a cesspool or be fed to pigs.

    • jim_m

      What do you have against pigs that you would feed Chico to them?

      • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/EU5DQWQTTHTPO4A4ZYSL3AAV2U Adjoran

        No, because you eventually want to be able to eat the pigs, it would make more sense to feed Chico to the rats.

        That would have the added dimension of sadistic perversion, like feeding a hamburger to a cow.

      • herddog505

        I merely disagree with Commander_Chico on occasion; I don’t want to feed him to pigs or for anything bad to happen to him at all.

        Now, bin Laden, on the other hand, was an excellent candidate for the Bricktop Treatment.  Ditto the horrible, horrible Kermit Gosnell (if it is proved that he did, indeed, do what he’s been accused of).  I’m starting to think that Eric Holder could stand a one-way trip to the pig farm, too. 

        On further reflection, I wouldn’t want to take a chance on spoiling a plate of delicious, smoky, juicy, savory coarse chop: “[spitting and spluttering] What the hell did this pig EAT???”

        So, the cesspool will have to do!

        • Anonymous

          Why, thank you herddog.  The same from me.  

          • herddog505

            :-)

  • jim_m

    As a Medical Laboratory Professional I can tell you that no body parts should ever be found in a land fill.  Body parts from amputations, biopsies etc are examined, tested and disposed of as bio-hazard waste.  Bio-hazard waste is segregated from regular trash bagged and incinerated to prevent the transmission of disease.

    Merely throwing body parts away should never have been an option for anyone, anywhere.

  • PBunyan

    Another statement on the sad state of the media.  There’s always a “the rest of the story” that comes out after the damage is done.

  • Anonymous

    “Whoever signed off on just tossing them in the trash needs to be drummed
    out of the service. And if it was a civilian, then fired and banned
    from future military service.”

    Further………not ‘tossed into the trash’.  Incinerated and the ashes tossed into the landfill.

    But that doesn’t sell newspapers.  Besides, it makes the military look really bad, and that makes the lib MSM extremely happy.

    Just think what that same government bureaucracy is going to do to your health care, especially when you’re older and no longer a ‘productive’ member of society.

    • Anonymous

      “Just think what that same government bureaucracy is going to do to your health care, especially when you’re older and no longer a ‘productive’ member of society.”

      Not to worry… BarryCare will save the day!! Just report to paradise camp and await fuhrer instructions.. 

  • Anonymous

    A pet cemetery would have been way way more dignified. 

    It is a crime to improperly dispose of human remains, whole body or not. A landfill is about as improper as you can get.  And as jim m says, it is also an infection control issue.

    • Anonymous

      Ashes are not an infection control issue.

      • Anonymous

        Did not say they were ashes. Just ‘partial’ remains.  If they were ashes, could have just sprinkled on the lawn, not put in a landfill.

        • Anonymous

          The partial remains were all incinerated. Then unceremoniously dumped in a landfill.  There was no infection control issue ever.  Only the lack of respect of remains that is usually associated with US Military traditions.  Now they claim there are delivering the ashes into the sea.  What I haven’t heard or seen is whether this is done with any ceremony or they are simply put on a garbage scow and dumped.  Ashes at sea are tricky – even worse from a helicopter or fixed wing airframe.  I’ve had to spread ashes a few times.  Gotta watch the wind gusts.

  • Anonymous

    It’s always interesting to see what things are outrageous here, and what things are excused and minimized.

  • Anonymous

    The ashes in the landfill is gross, and not a great “tradition,” but now that the ashes are spread at sea, I wouldn’t complain if I knew it was done with some dignity.  

    This story demonstrates what happens when opportunities are lost before grandiose polarizing politic squanders any hope of a dignified and quiet resolution.  If anyone at Dover had had an “ah ha!” moment that had been supported by senior administration to come up with a solemn and appropriate way to handle these remains, this would be a minor issue today.  Instead, it was left to a whistle-blowing revelation to the press to initiate the change.

    Sadly, this happens on all sides of politics, government and private enterprises.

    • Anonymous

      PS.  By the title and the NH author,  I thought this was about the Iowa Caucus.

  • Anonymous

    Conservatives, especially libertarian ones,  generally are not too keen on  federal whistle blower protection laws, but it is a good thing we had them in this case; otherwise, the three whistle blowers to this hideous practice who went to the press, would have remain fired, while the three  reponsible for discarding them in a landfill, including the colonel and commander of the base , were merely reassigned… or disciplined.

    After three whistle blowers, James Parsons, Mary Ellen Spera and William Zwicharowski, sounded the alarm, they were fired but have since regained their jobs after an investigation by the inspector general found their allegations were true and that they are protected under the law.

    • Anonymous

      Actually, Steve, I got no problems with whistle-blowers. The Obama administration does, however. The ONLY PERSON to be disciplined over Fast and Furious so far was the whistle-blower, and the Department of Justice has waged war against several — a couple of Inspectors General and the guys who exposed the inside story on the New Black Panthers case. Maybe you ought to express your disdain towards them.

      J.

    • herddog505

      Conservatives and libertarians aren’t keen on protection for whistle-blowers?  Really?

      Oh, wait: I think you’re confusing “whistle-blowers” – people who report government malfeasance and corruption – with those treacherous little pissants who leaks classified information to the press in an effort to embarrass the United States and especially Republicans.  For example:

      — Reporting that GI remains are being dumped in landfills or that the BATF is pressuring gunstores to sell weapons to Mexican drug cartels is whistleblowing.

      — Leaking classified infomation about efforts to track terrorist money to the NYT or conveying classified diplomatic and military communications to WikiLeaks is… something else.

      But I suppose that whistleblowing is rather in the eye of the beholder.  Libs love Bradley Manning, but John Dodson… not so much.

      By the way: the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 was written by Sen. Charles Grassly (R-IA).

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