Unconscionable: the Dover mortuary travesty
Between this and the Penn State story which dominates my sports radio, I am just sick. How could folks do this to their fellow men and women?
Three stories from Washington Post. First:
On Tuesday, the base in Delaware became the latest of the nation’s hallowed military places to be sullied by charges of mismanagement and scandal.
“How can you not know what body parts belong to what soldier?” said Crothers, of Conowingo, Md. “That is very disrespectful to the person who just sacrificed their life for the country. This is not acceptable. It’s just not.”...
Federal investigators’ charges of “gross mismanagement” at the Dover mortuary echo earlier failings at Arlington National Cemetery and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
All three are places where military families carry out mostly private vigils.
Each of them — an airfield, a now-shuttered hospital and a cemetery — have become part of the country’s civic religion.
Just how bad was it? Pretty unimagineably bad:
James G. Parsons Sr. was a military autopsy embalming technician working at the Air Force’s Dover mortuary when, on Feb. 2, 2010, he was assigned to prepare the body of a Marine who had been killed by a buried bomb in Afghanistan a few days before.
He had “extensive trauma” to his lower legs, Parsons later recalled. “Some of his lower legs were missing. He had extensive trauma to his left arm.”
But Parson’s said his supervisor, Quinton R. “Randy” Keel, who served as division director at the mortuary, wanted the Marine’s body placed in a uniform — something that was difficult with the arm fixed in place.
After some conversation, Parsons said, Keel ordered the arm cut off.
So, they've done an IG investigation and confirmed just about everything:
The Air Force admitted that the Dover mortuary misplaced a dead soldier’s ankle and another set of remains that had been stored in a plastic bag...
The Air Force disciplined but did not fire the mortuary commander and two other senior officials. Some members of Congress called the punishments inadequate, and an independent federal watchdog agency said investigators should have pushed harder to assign blame.
REALLY!?!!!?! No one got fired? If this isn't a firing offense, just what exactly would one look like?
Just sickening.
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Comments
Trent Klug (not verified)
November 9, 2011 - 4:45pm
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They sat on this for over a
They sat on this for over a year! I can't believe the incompetency was hidden this long. I believe the both the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff Air Force should be forced to resign immediately. I don't care that changes were implemented. I care they kept it from the public for this long. And I firmly believe this is not a national headline because of the political persuasion of the president and the Secretary of Defense!
konrad griner (not verified)
November 10, 2011 - 4:02pm
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Shame..
As being a veteran, "I HOLD MY HEAD IN SHAME".
There are no words for this,
John La Rochelle
November 10, 2011 - 1:12am
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The Dover Mortuary travesty.
Believe it or not, there are people already accusing President Obama as the culprit behind this.
john roseborough (not verified)
November 10, 2011 - 3:46pm
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Dover
These soldiers gave all selflessly and they deserved to be treated with the greatest of care. What has happened is scandulous and without excuse. Very sickening at best.
Harry Shorter (not verified)
November 10, 2011 - 4:23pm
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dover mortuary
Its sad to think our military has stooped this low,i was a soilder with the 9th infantry div during the korea conflict to serve my country and did so with pride some one in Dc.needs to rattle some heads.
Jan C (not verified)
December 8, 2011 - 9:17pm
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Thanks!
Harry - Just one comment......Thank you for your service!
Walt Trierweiler (not verified)
November 10, 2011 - 5:54pm
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Dover
I had the honor of escorting Army GOs to meet every air craft returning with a fallen Soldier at Dover over the space of 2 weeks. We were invited to view the Morgue and observed the great dignity with which every Soldier was lovingly placed into their Dress Blues. The attention to detail and care was heartbreaking to observe. When I commented that "No one knows that we do this for our Soldiers, the civilian replied with pride that it wasn't important for anyone else to know". That was 2003. I later served at Walter Reed and observed the same devotion and attention given to our Soldiers, they deserved the best we had and receieved it. I can't explain what happened years later-was it attributable to increased workloads, reduced manpower, smaller budgets or have we lost something along the way? One thing is clear-we must insist on maintaining the standards of care for our wounded, the fallen and their families. This is a leadership issue-do not denigrate the contributions of those who have continued to give 100% within these organizations and remember that they too pay a price while serving in these difficult jobs. Perhaps it is time for us to do what the Vietnam Vets have done for us and step forward to make sure our wounded and fallen brothers and sisters continue to receive the very best we can give them.
Gene Sullivan (not verified)
November 11, 2011 - 10:03am
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The Mortuary function should
The Mortuary function should be moved to a much higher level ... specifically a seperate operating agency reporting to a high command level at either the Air Force or Dept. of Defence. It needs top level supervision.
John Flynn (not verified)
November 11, 2011 - 3:55pm
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Dover AFB, DE
I served at Dover AFB for 8 years, in 436th SPS. I knew special services personnel who worked the morgue. They processed fallen personnel from different areas and they never lost anyone. Personnel involved should be made to personally apologize to the families of the personnel and their missing parts who were buried. Then court-martial them and let them rot in prison.
John Flynn (not verified)
November 11, 2011 - 3:56pm
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Dover AFB, DE
I served at Dover AFB for 8 years, in 436th SPS. I knew special services personnel who worked the morgue. They processed fallen personnel from different areas and they never lost anyone. Personnel involved should be made to personally apologize to the families of the personnel and their missing parts who were buried. Then court-martial them and let them rot in prison.
L Smikrud (not verified)
November 11, 2011 - 10:14pm
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Dover Dummies
Anyone who would order, or authorize such acts should be prosecuted as a traitor. If convicted they should be made to face a firing squad or some other appropriate punishment. They simply do not deserve to live.
Paul "Tweek" Tw... (not verified)
November 14, 2011 - 12:43am
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My Two Cents
Listen, if I were the service member killed, disfigured and mutilated in battle, cut off my arm if it will make viewing my corpse easier on those I love. After all, is this not one of the purposes served by those who serve at Dover, making it possible for the family to view the remains of the fallen as opposed to a closed casket wake?
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