With ban over, who should cover the fallen at Dover?

Washington Post ^ | 10/24/2009 | Christian Davenport

[Saije]

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DEL. -- When the first Bush administration banned the media from covering the arrival of the fallen at Dover Air Force Base during the Persian Gulf War nearly 20 years ago, the stated reason was to protect the families' privacy.

But in the six months since the controversial ban was lifted and 258 families were allowed to choose whether they wanted the media present, 60 percent said yes, according to the military.

In August, the Pentagon quietly amended the policy so that families were given a third option for coverage. Now they can have military camera crews cover the short, solemn ceremony at Dover, known as a dignified transfer, while barring professional news reporters. Fifteen percent more families have chosen this option, meaning that about 75 percent of all arrivals of the country's war dead are covered in some fashion.

But just because families consent to coverage doesn't mean news organizations are always interested. After First Amendment advocates fought for the right to document the arrival of the flag-draped metal caskets, dubbed "transfer cases" by the military, there are often just a handful of journalists on hand. More than a third of all ceremonies open to the media during the first six months were covered by a single outlet: the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the military, which had feared from the beginning that families who said yes to media coverage would be disappointed by the turnout, has provided its own crews to cover those events approved by the family and posts the images on the Web. As a result, the Defense Department has become one of the main distributors of the images of the fallen.

It's a development that troubles free speech advocates, who say the media, not the military, should capture the images the public sees.

[Saije]

DOD can't win. The policy gets change to satisfy the press (and lefty agitators) and now that they have the chance to cover what they demanded should be shown they choose not to do it. So DOD takes the pictures --to avoid disappointing the families-- and they're criticized for that.

[italianquaker]

The press only cares when a Repub is in office. Just ask enough already charlie gibson

[Ready4Freddy]

Uniforms for Fallen are Always Perfect

[john in springfield]

It's a development that troubles free speech advocates, who say the media, not the military, should capture the images the public sees.

Give me a freakin' break.

These unnamed "free speech advocates" would do a lot better to focus their attention on "net neutrality" and the attempts to make the only halfway balanced major news organization into a pariah.

[RedStateGuyTrappedinCT]

But just because families consent to coverage doesn't mean news organizations are always interested.

They're only interested when it's a GOP administration. Now that the casualties are linked to the man-child's dithering the MSM couldn't care less.

[Stonewall Jackson]

If you get the opportunity, watch Taking Chance, the HBO docu-drama about a young Marine's last journey home. They take particular care to show the dedication and determination of the men and women who prepared his body and his uniform for the trip home, despite the fact that his remains were not suitable for viewing and their work would therefore never be seen by anyone.

Just make sure you have a box of tissues handy when you watch it, because you are going to need them.

[Ready4Freddy]

Thanks, ST. Actually, I watched it for the first time within the last week. I’d read Col Strobl’s letter when it was published a few years ago (and the resulting threads here), but just couldn’t seem to man up to watch the movie.

I really enjoyed it, gf sniffling the whole time & me getting misty-eyed. Funny thing is, just 2-3 days after we watched it a friend of my gf (who had no idea that we’d just watched the movie) sent her the link to that article about the Dover uniform detail.

[silverleaf]

the “media” has been too bust covering the POTUS’ golf swing and M’chelle’s fashion parade

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Thanks for the link.

“I’ve been in some very dangerous areas during my deployments to Kirkuk, Iraq, and Kandahar, Afghanistan,”
said Sergeant Bell, his voice quavering.
“I’ve been in a few situations myself and can remember many nights of standing on the flightline,
saluting and paying respect to those who have given their lives as they were being loaded onto an aircraft to return home.
It just creates a level of respect for our fallen that is hard to explain.”

Imagine if the soldiers serving and dying for our country had a Commander in Chief who felt this way.
We have a guy who pays more respect to his basketball than he does to the troops .

[Stonewall Jackson]

I bought it on DVD a few months ago and everyone I have shown it to loves it. The only member of my family that I haven’t shown it to is my little sister, whose husband is currently serving in Iraq, but I plan on letting them borrow it when he gets home next June.