President Honors Fallen at Dover Arrival

Earlier this morning:

Obama visits Dover AFB to honor fallen soldiers

President Barack Obama, right, salutes as an Army carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Ind., during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign.

On a clear fall night, Obama flew by Marine One helicopter to Dover Air Force Base to greet the flag-draped cases of 18 Americans killed in action this week...>>>Rest Found Here

Honor to Fallen on Arrival Home

Dignified transfer for the Fallen

The bodies of U.S. soldiers killed while serving in Afghanistan arrive at Dover Air Force Base July 8, 2009.



The service members are: Army Capt. Mark A. Garner of State Road, N.C.; Army Pfc. Nicolas H.J. Gideon of Murrieta, Calif.; Army Spc. Isaac L. Johnson of Columbus, Ga.; Army Sgt. Brock H. Chavers of Bulloch, Ga.; Navy Petty Officer Second Class Tony Michael Randolph of Henryetta, Okla.; Army Spc. Chester W. Hosford of Hastings, Minn.; and Army 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams of Glenwood, Ill.

Dover 'Old Guard': Honoring the Fallen

Dover 'Old Guard' team shoulders heavy burden

Honoring the Fallen

The return of the body of a U.S. servicemember was opened in April to the media for the first time since 1991.

Staff Sgt. Cody Reeves has survived harrowing conditions and stared down enemies on the battlefield during two tours in the military hotspots of Iraq. Now he is stationed near Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, trained to carry the remains of fellow soldiers who perished in that same conflict. Before,"it was all about catching the bad guy," Reeves said. "When you come here, it's all about honoring your brothers who are fallen for catching the bad guys, for their service."....Rest Here

Source: CNN | Added May 23, 2009

First Photos of Fallen Soldier Ends 18-Year Ban

An airman stands next to the coffin containing the body of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers as it is lowered from a plane upon its return to the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware April 5, 2009. Myers, of Hopewell, Virginia, died April 4 near Helmand province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. For the first time since the Obama administration reversed an 18-year-old ban on news coverage of returning fallen soldiers, the military allowed media to cover to cover the arrival tonight of an airman killed in Afghanistan. Collapse
(Joshua Roberts/REUTERS)

I wish to thank the families who allowed the press photo's showing the respect the fallen receive and the real cost of war!!

We serve the Nation, not just the families nor communities, a Nation that does little in Sacrifice!!

On Sec.Gates visit to Dover AFB

Gates' 3.18.09, Emotional Reaction to His Visit to Dover AFB, an ABC News Video.

Gates': "...very difficult...I will add a sentence or two...I went to the back of the plane by myself, and spent time with each of the 'transfer cases'...I think I'll stop there."

Honor Ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base

Policy changed 18 years after Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney first banned news media from covering honor ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base.

This comes from the 'George Washington University National Security Archive' and gives the Chronology of DOD Policy on Images of the Honors Provided to American Casualties.

Washington, DC, February 26, 2009 – Today Secretary of Defense Robert Gates lifted a blanket ban on news media coverage of the honor guard ceremonies that mark the return of military casualties from abroad. The new policy will permit media coverage of the ceremonies, during which caskets draped with American flags are brought home from war, after consultation with the families of the fallen. The Obama administration’s move restores press access to the honor ceremonies, which had been the practice from World War II through the Panama invasion of 1989. During the lead-up to the Gulf War in 1991, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney instituted the ban. The news media lost a first amendment challenge to the ban, but Professor Ralph Begleiter and the National Security Archive forced the release of hundreds of images taken by military photographers under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2005.

All Information along with a Number of Photo's can be found here

Pentagon to Allow Some Media Coverage of Flag Draped Coffins

According to a 'Breaking' banner report, at the top of the MSNBC News site this is just out from the AP!!

I've done a quick search, and boy do I not like the AP site, looking for anything else on this but can't find a thing. Except a few of the recent articles and discussions.

I'll look around for some more information and post it.

A link came up three minutes, now slightly more, ago:

Pentagon to allow photos of returning war victims' caskets

Defense and congressional officials say news organizations will be allowed to photograph the homecomings of America’s war dead under a new Pentagon policy.

According to this brief announcement it says that Gates will be announcing the policy change later today, 2.26.09!!

The Video Report Of From MSNBC

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As part of one reply to a post I placed a few days ago:

""The private part probably is best handled at the memorial service or funeral if the family wishes, not at the arrival at Dover.""

This is always how it should be. We, myself 'Nam '70-'71, serve the Country and Constitution, a solemn viewing, In Honor, should be the Nations right when the Fallen Arrive at Dover, the rest is the Family and Community.
We have Arrival Ceremonies for those groups returning, and we readily show, even National, the Heartwarming Surprise returns to children's classrooms etc..

The Fallen Deserve To Be Treated In The Same Respect!!