Sad Duty

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Today's Big Picture over at The Boston Globe includes photographs of the U.S. war dead returning to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base under the watchful eye of the staff at the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs.

These events are called "the dignified transfer of remains," and I have to say, this is a job I wouldn't want to do. I'm very grateful there are members of the Armed Forces who can perform this duty with dignity and respect.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, to all our fallen comrades, and Bravo Zulu to those sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines who bring them home.

4 comments:

Jeri said...

Several months ago, Time Magazine (I think) ran a hauntingly beautiful piece titled something like "The Things That Carried Him", tracing the homecoming of one soldier's posthumous homecoming. I may have linked to it on my blog - dunno - but it's so worth searching for.

It's grim duty, but I'm very grateful that those who carry it out daily do so with reverence, gratitude and respect.

Jeri said...

I can has Writing/Editing 101 now?

Jim Wright said...

Sad yes. But this is the cost of war, and everybody in America should see it.

Especially all those patriotic assholes who were so damned eager to send us off to war - you know the ones I'm talking about, Janiece, those bastards like Cheney and half the idiots here in the MatSu valley who wave flags and wax poetic about God, Country, apple pie and killing a few of those filthy towelheads - but somehow have never managed to serve themselves.

Every one of those stupid bastards needs to see this. Every frothy self righteous Republican who blindly supported George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and that utter fucking arrogant bastard Rumsfeld need to have their noses rubbed in this every single day. This is the cost, right here. Every time you vote for people like Bush and continue to support him, this is the cost. And that's exactly why these bodies were hidden away during his administration, it had nothing to do with respect and everything to do with hiding his shame.

America needs to see the cost. They need to understand exactly what this waring is costing them. They sent us to war with parades and flags and patriotic fervor, they can damned well welcome us home.

Sorry, but this topic is one that just plain sets me the fuck off. If it was up to me, I'd have Bush, Cheney, that little cocksucker Rumsfeld, Rice, Rove, Libby and all the rest of them out there on the tarmac unloading those bodies every day, digging the graves with their own bare hands. Fuckers. Gah.

Janiece said...

Jim, I don't disagree. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who perform this duty have always done it in this manner, whether they had an audience, or not.

The fuckwads who are ultimately responsible for these outcomes could learn a few lessons from their respect, honor, and dignity.