Pentagon to Allow Some Media Coverage of Flag Draped Coffins

Submitted by jimstaro on February 26, 2009 - 14:25

According to a 'Breaking' banner report, at the top of the MSNBC News site this is just out from the AP!!

 

I've done a quick search, and boy do I not like the AP site, looking for anything else on this but can't find a thing. Except a few of the recent articles and discussions.

 

I'll look around for some more information and post it.

 

A link came up three minutes, now slightly more, ago:

 

Pentagon to allow photos of returning war victims' caskets

 

Defense and congressional officials say news organizations will be allowed to photograph the homecomings of America’s war dead under a new Pentagon policy.

 

According to this brief announcement it says that Gates will be announcing the policy change later today!!

Iraq, Afghanistan, military, Memorials, Serving Country, Honoring the Fallen, Flag Drapped Coffins, KIA's, Dover, Dover Air Force Base
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jimstaro

February 26, 2009 - 13:28

The Video Report Of From MSNBC

 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"The wise man points to the stars and the fool sees only the finger - and discusses it 24/7 on cable."

jimstaro

February 26, 2009 - 16:25

As part of one reply to a post I placed a few days ago:

 

""The private part probably is best handled at the memorial service or funeral if the family wishes, not at the arrival at Dover.""

 

This is always how it should be. We, myself 'Nam '70-'71, serve the Country and Constitution, a solemn viewing, In Honor, should be the Nations right when the Fallen Arrive at Dover, the rest is the Family and Community.

 

We have Arrival Ceremonies for those groups returning, and we readily show, even National, the Heartwarming Surprise returns to children's classrooms etc..

 

The Fallen Deserve To Be Treated In The Same Respect!!

 

"The wise man points to the stars and the fool sees only the finger - and discusses it 24/7 on cable."

jimstaro

February 27, 2009 - 06:39

Policy changed 18 years after Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney first banned news media from covering honor ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base.

 

This comes from the 'George Washington University National Security Archive' and gives the Chronology of DOD Policy on Images of the Honors Provided to American Casualties.

 

Washington, DC, February 26, 2009 – Today Secretary of Defense Robert Gates lifted a blanket ban on news media coverage of the honor guard ceremonies that mark the return of military casualties from abroad. The new policy will permit media coverage of the ceremonies, during which caskets draped with American flags are brought home from war, after consultation with the families of the fallen. The Obama administration’s move restores press access to the honor ceremonies, which had been the practice from World War II through the Panama invasion of 1989. During the lead-up to the Gulf War in 1991, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney instituted the ban. The news media lost a first amendment challenge to the ban, but Professor Ralph Begleiter and the National Security Archive forced the release of hundreds of images taken by military photographers under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2005.

 

All Information along with a Number of Photo's can be found here

 

"The wise man points to the stars and the fool sees only the finger - and discusses it 24/7 on cable."