House moves to bring home remains of ‘earliest Navy SEALs’

The Washington Times ^ | May 29, 2011 | Stephan Dinan

[jazusamo]

More than two centuries after they died off the coast of present-day Libya, the remains of the first 13 Navy commandos in U.S. history — in the words of one supporter, the “earliest Navy SEALs” — are one step closer to coming home after the U.S. House voted last week to insist the Pentagon get them back.

Brushing off prior opposition from the Pentagon, House lawmakers attached the directive to the annual defense policy bill that cleared the chamber on Thursday, with backers saying it was time to honor the daring men as fallen heroes.

“The United States has an obligation to leave no member of our military behind, regardless of how long ago they were killed,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, Michigan Republican, who visited the grave sites in Libya in 2004 and co-sponsored the legislation with Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo, New Jersey Republican. “Bringing the remains of those brave members of our military home and giving them a proper military funeral will finally end a tragic story that has lasted far too long.”

The commandos were part of then-President Thomas Jefferson’s war against the Barbary Pirates, who terrorized shipping off the coast of North Africa in the early 1800s. They died while on a stealth mission to infiltrate Tripoli's harbor and sail a flaming ship into the enemy fleet that lay anchored there, trying to destroy it and force the release of U.S. sailors the pirates had taken prisoner on land.

Their ship, the USS Intrepid, caught fire prematurely — either by accident or because it was hit by a shot from the enemy, and all 13 men perished.

[jazusamo]

Earlier article regarding bringing our MIA's home from Vietnam:

America must bring its lost brigade home from Vietnam before it’s too late

[jazusamo]

Ping!

[kbennkc]

We are in a Libya quagmire.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"From the halls of Monetzuma, to the shores of Tripoli..."

[RobinOfKingston]

Bring them home on Air Force One ... it will be the best use to which it has been put in over two years.

[jazusamo]

Completely agree.

[Mountain Troll]

So what would be the reasons NOT to do this? The article doesn’t give any reason why the Navy is opposed to this other than “We don’t feel like it.”

[jazusamo]

I’ve no idea other than it has supposedly been a Navy custom, but the article states where that custom has been ignored on a few occasions.

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
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[Liberty1970]

This is a nice sentiment, but it is stuff like this that is tipping us into the financial abyss. Why is it always 'something else' that needs to get cut from the government budget? When are people going to understand that WE NEED TO STOP WASTING TAXPAYERS MONEY???

(Of course, if private financial resources are to be used, I'm all for it.)

[Old Student]

The Navy may leave the bodies of it’s people where they fall when their ships sink, but IIRC, the Marine Corps does not, unless they just absolutely cannot recover them.

I’m retired USAF, and I want these guys home, escorted there by their Marine brothers. If we have to stomp the flaming crap out of Libya to do it, I’m fine with that. And if they want a grumpy old USAF Master Sergeant to help, I’d be honored.

[Old Student]

“This is a nice sentiment, but it is stuff like this that is tipping us into the financial abyss. Why is it always ‘something else’ that needs to get cut from the government budget? When are people going to understand that WE NEED TO STOP WASTING TAXPAYERS MONEY??? “

Government money paid for them to go, and we owe them the debt to pay to return them. Living or dead.

WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.)

[jazusamo]

Amen to that!

[TheOldLady]

Thank you, Civ. My sentiments exactly.

A Blessed Memorial Day to you. I have a brother, four uncles, and a nephew to remember on May 31 — heck with Monday holidays.

[Liberty1970]

Government money paid for them to go, and we owe them the debt to pay to return them. Living or dead.

Is that in writing from that time, or just an after-the-fact sentiment? What about the cemeteries in France and other places, do we have to pay to bring all those veterans back home as well?

Some of these 13 could be my ancestors, for all I know. That doesn't mean taxpayers have to foot the bill for me. I mean, is this a solution in search of a problem? In other words, has anyone with a personal connection to these 13 even expressed a personal interest in the return of their remains?

I just can't believe the business-as-usual attitude as our government continues running monstrous deficits, spending tax money willy-nilly. The Republicans are doing nothing to fix the problem (merely slowing it down a little as in Ryan's budget). But there is no evidence that anyone beyond the 'crazed fringe' is concerned about stable government fiscal policy. (For that is where we stand today - those of us seeking responsible, constitutionally-bound government are relegated to the asylum, while the lunatic populace runs free.)

[Vigilantcitizen]

My grandpa is buried in the US military cemetery, Margratten, Holland. My granny was given the option of having him shipped home but the captain she was discussing this with, a friend of the family, told her that more than likely the remains in his casket were not all his. Him and several in his unit were hit by an 88 barage.

She decided to let him rest in peace alongside his fellow fallen soldiers. She also felt that relocating him would take needed manpower away from the war effort. I respect her decision, and do not want one cent spent to relocate him. It would also be an insult to the Dutch families who adopt these graves and pass their care down through the generations, who have expressed extreme gratitude to the families of the fallen for their sacrifice in letters.

[bert]

My scout troop held the flag ceremony here in 1966 in the presence of Imelda Marcos and many Americans. This is the American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila. After concluding the ceremony there was a very low flyover by jets from Clark air Base. They came from behind startled us all.

[Old Student]

“Is that in writing from that time, or just an after-the-fact sentiment?”

Well, since I'm not a veteran of THAT conflict, I wouldn't know if they got promised to have their bodies returned. I am, however, a veteran of the Vietnam Era, and of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. We don't leave them behind, now. I'd much rather see money spent on this than on building bridges to nowhere, airports that aren't needed, and treadmills for shrimp. I DO know that promises made to our troops have been violated throughout our history. Pretty consistently, in fact.

I'm pretty tired of it.
WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.)

[colorado tanker]

Check this out. The Air Force repatriated several graves from the old Wheelus Air Force Base graveyard in 2007, so there is precedent.

http://user.icx.net/~richmond/rsr/kindergraveswheelus.html

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks! And there’s also the case of John Paul Jones, exhumed and brought back to his (I hope) final resting place during TR’s administration.