US guard unit defies rule on filming of soldiers' coffins

spacewar.com ^ | 01/13/05

[Ellesu]

A US National Guard unit on Wednesday defied a Pentagon request that sought to stop television news crews filming six flag-draped soldiers' coffins arriving in Louisiana following the men's deaths in Iraq last week, according to a report by CBS News.

The Pentagon has barred US media from filming the coffins of US servicemembers arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, but the Louisiana National Guard allowed a CBS news crew to film the arrival of six soldiers' coffins at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, near New Orleans, Louisiana.

Despite the Pentagon request, Lieutenant Colonel Pete Schneider, a spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard told CBS: "What we thought was, we're going to do what the family asked us to do."

Footage broadcast by CBS showed an honor guard carrying the soldiers' flag-draped coffins out of an aircraft, watched by grieving families, to six waiting hearses.

The six soldiers had served in the Louisiana National Guard, all six died last Thursday after their armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad.

It was the largest number of US troops killed in a single attack since last month's suicide bombing in a military mess hall at a base near Mosul that killed 14 US service members.

[Ellesu]

It was very moving to watch this last night. God Bless our troops and my prayers are with these families.

[mark502inf]

Governors don't work for the President and the Adjutant General in charge of each state's National Guard works for the Governor.

[boxerblues]

I thought the ban was only at Dover. I wonder if they had the families permission to film this.

[Dog]

Despite the Pentagon request, Lieutenant Colonel Pete Schneider, a spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard told CBS: "What we thought was, we're going to do what the family asked us to do."

Well Pete kiss your career goodbye. You can't pick and choose the orders you follow.

And Pete who was it that turned the film of this ceremony over to the main stream media?

[rdb3]

The Pentagon has barred US media from filming the coffins of US servicemembers arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, but the Louisiana National Guard allowed a CBS news crew to film the arrival of six soldiers' coffins at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, near New Orleans, Louisiana.

Despite the Pentagon request, Lieutenant Colonel Pete Schneider, a spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard told CBS: "What we thought was, we're going to do what the family asked us to do."

Lt. Col. Schneider deserves a dishonorable discharge immediately.

[Ready4Freddy]

Difference between a 'rule' and a 'request'?

[rdb3]

Difference between a 'rule' and a 'request'?

Read between the lines. Dishonorable discharge. Now!

[pennyfarmer]

First let me state I am all for the Iraq war, I am in the Navy reserves.

The Pentagon I feel is trying to whitewash what war is about. They don't want people to know that people really die in battle. I know that the left would like to use this film to further their agenda but trying to ban filming gives them one more stone to throw when it does get filmed. We need to glorify these soldiers acts and not shame them by hiding and secreting away their bodies.

[houeto]

I wonder if they had the families permission to film this.

The families specifically requested this. Not as a slam on the WOT or the POTUS but as an honor to their fallen.

They had them on the local news and they were extremely proud of their heros.

[houeto]

heros = heroes

[boxerblues]

God bless them, this story is very misleading as they are not defying any Pentagon orders. Once the bodies are released to the families there is little the Pentagon can do

[Ready4Freddy]

What lines?

[rdb3]

What lines?

Nevermind...

[Ready4Freddy]

Carry on. I'm sure you think it's good to have the Pentagon try to hide the return of our heroes who have given the last full measure for their country.

[bill1952]

I don't know.
In WWII, did the media film thousands of dead *every* day?

Was FDR subject to endless media attacks co ordinated with his political opponents, while tens of thousands of bodies poured in from the pacific theater?

Were the media to be an objective purveyor of the news, my feelings might be different, but they are little more than the PR arm of the DNC and with a distinctive Socialist flavor.
Christ, look at kerry running around the world, carping away to foreign leaders that the current administration is wrong.
Nah. A pox upon them. We all know the true costs of war.

[sheltonmac]

The Pentagon I feel is trying to whitewash what war is about. They don't want people to know that people really die in battle.

You think? It isn't by accident that our "news" stations only present us with PG-rated war coverage.

[sgtbono2002]

I believe in World War 2 we buried the men where they fell.

Certainly we know when men die they must be buried and with apropriate ceremony.

The idea is not to hide the men from view it was to stop liberal news agencies from making asses of them selves every evening by showing coffins coming home, from using the dead for political BS.

[sheltonmac]

I think the implication some would like to make is that the Lt. Col. is undermining the war effort with these images of flag-draped coffins. After all, the less people know, the less they complain.

[verity]

Fortunately, your recommendation will be ignored.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm actually on the side of the Lt. Col. in this one, if only to reinforce the basic principles of the Tenth Amendment. An officer of the Louisiana National Guard does not answer to anyone at the Pentagon when it comes to domestic National Guard protocol -- even moreso when you consider that this "Pentagon request" could have been issued by someone who is a civilian PR hack with no military credentials whatsoever.

One of these days a National Guard officer is going to get some REAL b@lls . . . and have CBS film the arrival of coffins adorned with state flags at these bases -- with no U.S. flag in sight.