Remains Of War Dead Dumped In Landfill

Remains Of War Dead Dumped In Landfill:

Remains Of War Dead Dumped In Landfill
Washington Post ^ | 9 Nov 2011 | Craig Whitlockand Greg Jaffe

Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2011 7:36:45 PM by edpc

The Dover Air Force Base mortuary for years disposed of some dead troops’ body parts by burning them and dumping the ashes in a Virginia landfill, a practice that officials have since abandoned in favor of burying the remains at sea.

The Dover mortuary, which is the main point of entry for America’s war dead, sent remains to the landfill from 2003 until 2008, according to Air Force officials. The manner of disposal was typically withheld from the relatives of fallen service members. The disclosure comes in the aftermath of several federal investigations into mishandling of remains at the mortuary.

Air Force officials acknowledged the practice Wednesday in response to inquiries from The Washington Post. They said the procedure was limited to portions of body parts that were unable to be identified at first or were later recovered from the battlefield, and which family members had indicated could be disposed of by the military

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