Question for DU vets...

[Neecy]

I might be wrong here, but I seem to remember from the Vietnam war that when a soldier was killed military protocol allowed for a member of the soldier's unit to accompany the body back to the states.

I'm asking because our local news just aired a story about a soldier who was killed in Iraq, and his mother asked for a member of his unit to attend the funeral. She cried as she was interviewed and wanted to ask his fellow soldier what his last days were like, what his life was like there, and how he died and the Army said NO. His unit is only two weeks away from being rotated out of Iraq, and the Army still refused the request. Is this normal?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. normal for Bush-Amerika

it's wrong whether we've always done it this way or not. I'm guessing not.

[TomInTib]

2. The 'member of the soldier's unit' thing is a myth.

They would just trot that thing out as a pacifier.

Trust me, no modern combat unit could spare a soul to accompany a body back to the States.

This isn't rotating R&R anymore.

This is foolish, fucking stupid block deployment in a non-fixed front that no one can recognize.

[talk hard]

3. dont think so

[jwirr]

4. I don't think that is the practice but when my uncle was in Korea

he was wounded in a major battle just before his time was up - in order not to be short (times wise) he was given the job of gather the dead soldier's items and mailing them back to the family along with a personal letter. That at least would help.

[driver8]

5. When I was in the Navy and going to school, a kid in our class was killed

in a motor cycle accident. His best friend escorted his body to his home town and attended the funeral.

Things are much different now -- maybe they feel that they can't spare anyone.

It does seem strange, though. You would think that allowing someone from the unit to attend the funeral would simply be a matter of courtesy. But then again, this is shrub, Rummy and co.