NJ widow exposes mishandling of troop remains

Yahoo (AP) ^ | 12/10/2011 | BETH DeFALCO

[South40]

FRENCHTOWN, N.J. (AP) — It took Gari-Lynn Smith more than four years to learn the truth about where the final remains of her husband, an Army sergeant killed in Iraq, ended up.

The New Jersey widow never thought that knowing would be worse than not, or that her search would lead to the bottom of a landfill.

[antceecee]

Many prayers for these families who have had their loved ones remains treated so disrespectfully.... I just can’t imagine their pain and sorrow.

[TChad]

Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott R. Smith

http://militarytimes.com/valor/army-sgt-1st-class-scott-r-smith/1974185

[Chainmail]

When I first heard this I was stunned; first those scum at Arlington fouling up the interments and now this. Apparently our "grateful nation" can't get rid of those who volunteer to serve their country fast enough!

I wanted to blame these atrocities on the low-lifes we hire to do these jobs but you'll notice that there hasn't been any great uproar among our politicians to seek justice.

We as a people put on a great show about our reverence for the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines but the truth is that very few of our number actually take part in the deprivations and risks of defending this country. Now those few who lose their lives are taken to the dump - or buried in the wrong graves and the rest of the country just shrugs and moves on to the sports page. Even those teary-eyed "Wounded Warrior" charities take in 95% of the donations for themselves and only give 5% to any of the wounded warriors.

I come from a long line of Americans who fought for this country but I'll be damned if I'll let my children join the service if this is the best that we can do.

[Politically Correct]

"Wounded Warrior" charities take in 95% of the donations for themselves and only give 5% to any of the wounded warriors.

Wounded Warriors gives to vets and spouses 84% of the contrbutions.

Check your facts befor you rant.

[Scotsman will be Free]

Govt empathy and efficiency at it’s normal level of operation.

[Chainmail]

Let’s see the IRS data on them before you reply.

[Chainmail]

Let’s see the IRS data on them before you reply.

[momtothree]

When this story was being discussed some months ago, I was under the impression that the landfill had cremated “extra” remains. What I thought that meant was small parts of a person that the military couldn’t identify. I had no idea that they were cremating entire persons and dumping the remains into a landfill. This saddens me beyond words.

[blueunicorn6]

Where are our admirals and generals on this? Maybe Obama will hand out some ham in a chow line to show he really cares.

[Chainmail]

Ok, the facts: the Wounded Warrior charity is better than most of the rest of the so-called charities but according to the 2008 data at the Better Business Bureau, they took in $42M but only used $9M for warrior programs: $10M was for their own support and $22M was for "public awareness". 21% for the actual charitable work is good compared to most of these "veteran's charities".

You are correct that my figures were wrong for the Wounded Warriors - The 95% figure I used came from my investigation of the Vietnam Veterans of Virginia who are out and out scum. Most of the money contributed to them and hundreds of charities like them go to telemarketing scammers like Xentel. All the same, despite the heart-wrenching TV ads for Wounded Warriors, the lion's share of donated money goes to the charity executives and for more marketing.

If you care about our veterans, much better to visit them yourselves or contribute directly to the Association of the US Army or the Navy-Marine Corps Association or the Air Force Associations' charities.

[oh8eleven]

Vietnam Veterans of Virginia who are out and out scum.
In the very early 80s I helped found our local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
I quit within a year after discovering the VVA didn't require service in VN and also that more than 50% of the members had never been in country.
As far as I'm concerned, that's stolen valor.
Semper Fi ...

[Chainmail]

I agree - there is no substitute for being there to qualify as a Vietnam Veteran.

I went after VVVF after I got hundreds - really hundreds - of phone calls day and night from some number that identified itself as the VVVF. When you tried to call the number back, it was a dead end. So I applied some detective skills and found out that it was a caller from Xentel and who they were - they are a marketing/hustling outfit that specializing in phonecalling for a wide variety of police/firefighter/veteran charities and they keep almost all the money they get themselves. I found the leadership of the Vietnam Veterans of Virginia and called them at several numbers until I finally got them and they were surprised that I found them, to say the least (I used to be an investigator of the Inspector General). They were apologetic about the harrassing phone calls but unapologetic over using Xentel, since they were getting some money from them in their names (the president of Vietnam Veterans of Virginia has a 6,000 square foot home right on the beach).

I filed a complaint to the Virginia Attorney General but they called me after a month to tell me that previous court cases have supported these scam charities and that they wouldn't be going forward with a case against them. The only plus has been that both Xentel and VVVF have stopped calling my home.

The Vietnam Veterans of America's sliminess shouldn't surprise you - they are the lineal descendent of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, those same idiot scum who allied themselves with the People's Coalition for Peace and Justice and other communist trash.

Like I said in an earlier post, our country talks a good game when it comes to supporting the vets but in reality, vets and their families are really on their own. We Vietvets have learned a lot about expendibility.

[oh8eleven]

... our country talks a good game when it comes to supporting the vets but in reality ...
If you've done any reading, you know American vets have been getting the shaft since the Revolution. I never expected anything from the 'gubmint, so I've never been disappointed.

I used to be an investigator of the Inspector General.
When I hear the words "IG" I have visions of Phiblexs and junks on the bunk. Ah, the good old FMF days.

[Excellence]

The Air Force said remains were shipped to the landfill only in cases in which the family had previously signed a form saying it didn't want to be contacted in the event more remains were found. Scott Smith's parents had signed the form in the days after his death.

The parents were given the right to determine the disposition of the remains and not the wife? Something is dredfully wrong here.

[Chainmail]

Oh yes, good point: our navy combatants in the Revolutionary War never did get paid..

I have been more disappointed with civilians: they occasionally swell with patriotism at parades but they switch to hostility in an instant when the winds blow. I can distinctly remember nice people calling me a "butcher" when I got back and spitting at me and even the WW II vets saying "why can't you win your war - we won ours". I'm sure that you remember only too well how great the reception was for us when we got back from our war.

I was the most feared part of the IG: the special investigator who investigated officer malfeasance.. Still have a short Christmas card list.. Semper Fi

[oh8eleven]

even the WW II vets saying "why can't you win your war - we won ours"
Yeah, when I looked into joining the VFW, the attitude I usually got back was - our's was a real war. FU.
Who you with in 'Nam?

[Chainmail]

Battery B 1/11 and Golf Company 2/1 Jan ‘66 to May ‘67.
Semper FI

[oh8eleven]

I was 1st 8" Howitzer Battery ... Leatherneck Sq.

[Chainmail]

Showoff.

I was a measly 105mm cannoneer. Nice light 33 pound projectiles, minuscule 11,300m range. Sometimes got to 1,000 rounds per day per tube at the DMZ, though..

Had to develop muscles, somehow.