Posted on 04/29/2005 8:49:41 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon, under pressure from open-government advocates, released hundreds of images Thursday of flag-draped coffins of American soldiers.
The Pentagon had previously refused to release such images, which were taken by military photographers. Nor has it allowed the news media to photograph ceremonies of soldiers' coffins arriving in the United States, saying it is enforcing a policy installed in 1991 to respect the privacy of families of dead soldiers.
The pictures were released in response to a request for all military photos of caskets containing the remains of American soldiers taken since the U.S. launched its attack on Afghanistan in October 2001. Some critics have contended the government is trying to hide the human cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pentagon provided most of the images without context, so it was unclear where and when they were taken and whom they portrayed.
Most of the photographs showed soldiers carrying or saluting flag-draped coffins. Some of the labeled pictures were of remains of the Columbia space shuttle astronauts, military accidents around the world and deceased veterans of previous wars, while signs in the background of a few pictures identified their location as Afghanistan.
The military obscured the faces and identifying badges of many of the soldiers pictured in the ceremonies. A Pentagon spokesman said the pictures were edited out of privacy concerns.
The photographs were released in response to a Freedom of Information request and lawsuit by Ralph Begleiter, a professor at the University of Delaware and a former correspondent for CNN, who argued the photographs were a public record.
Jim Turner, a Pentagon spokesman, said the photos released were taken for historical or training purposes. He said military photographers now are taking pictures at such ceremonies less frequently.
Last April, the Air Force released scores of photos taken at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware in response to another FOIA request. The pictures included shots of some of the coffins of the astronauts who died in 2003 on the space shuttle Columbia. The Pentagon later called that release a mistake.
Haven't been to DU much have you.
People have been using photos for anti war propaganda and they haven't looked very respectful l at all.
Do you honestly believe that the intentions of the liberal media showing these photo's is there way of honoring the fallen? I'm sorry, but this is the same media who refuses to show the Twin Towers falling to the ground.
I respectfully disagree with you. It's still not YOUR and the media's business to display those photos. And if you are naive enough to think that they want those pictures released for ANYTHING other than anti-American propaganda, you're badly mistaken. Unfortunately, just the fact that you've been on funeral detail doesn't give you special insight as to the proper use of these photos. And you're wrong, it's always been the policy of the US Military to not release photos of the coffins of dead American soldiers.
Oh yeah, THAT'S respectful!
No kidding. This one is mild juxtaposed to what has already been put out there. The left and Islomofascist want to use our dead not pay respect.
That's the use of them after they're taken. We're talking about the right to publish publically-owned photos and to let photographers capture an important event. Personally, I get a chill up my spine when I see these, and have to stop for a minute to try to grasp the awesome price that soldier just paid for my freedom. I also think that could have been me in Gulf War I.
And you're wrong, it's always been the policy of the US Military to not release photos of the coffins of dead American soldiers.
This was Howard Dean's brother being fainlly brought home from Vietnam, coming off a transport plane (there were three others on this flight too).
I had a run-in with DU over them posting a picture of my cousin in one of their threads shortly after he was killed. I registerd and posted a message on that thread asking them to remove his picture, just his picture and not the entire thread. I told them that Jeremy had been a volunteer and he wanted to serve his country. He did so with pride. I also told them that he wouldn't want his name or picture associated with an anti-war cause. I was banned AND the picture is probably still posted to this day. THAT'S their respect for our servicemen and woman and the families of them.
You're unbelievably naive. I'll ignore you now.
I know a 3 families that have lost sons in Iraq---they don't want the media crwling all over taking pictures of coffins. They can tell morive when they see it.
It isn't as if the media was trying to show any respect towards our honored dead----they have an agenda, pure and simple. The media could CARE LESS about them getting killed unless they can be USED for some low purpose.
My nephew lost his leg in Iraq---some media peke wanted to interview him to get his ideas on President Bush and the war in general. My nephew told him to go eff off.
The media puke couldn't understand it at all.
Publicly owned?
Militarty personel hae a right to privacy, don't you know?
If Howard Dean wishs to publicize his borther coming home---fine.
Taking those pics is a privlege, not a RIGHT.
"If some schub wants 3000 copies of the same picture, he would be welcome to them."
It would probably be easier to just stop photographing the ceremonies. There is no requirement to take these pictures.
I wonder what the human cost is of the anti-American bias of Old Media.
God Bless Jeremy and your family. No there isn't any respect from DU types nor the media. I was at a funeral where the reporter climbed a tree at the graveside in order to get a good shot of the widow. Now that was a bit disruptive to those of us standing close to the tree. Sure he has the right to climb a tree but it's a funeral for gosh sakes. When he got out of the tree he had to gall to give me and two other mothers a smile. He didn't get one in return.
As I recall, the photos of Dean's brother were taken during the Presidential primaries. Hmmm, using the death of your own brother to further your image. THAT'S respect.
Thank you for your blessings. I'll have to hand it to you, it would have taken all of the restraint I have to not have shaken that photographer out of the tree.
If no one is to ever see them, then why is the government spending money taking these pictures?
Yes it was. Some Veteran groups complained that he received a Salute. The DOD explained that Dean's brother received Military Honors due to the fact that there was an outside change that the coffin contained the remains of more than one person. They stated there was a small possibility that there was a Serviceman included with the remains. Dean's brother was in the area touring on a left wing basis. He was not in the military.
These are the same people who think photos of aborted fetuses are "inflammatory." Give me a break.
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