Too many Iraq deaths, so Fort Lewis consolidates memorial services

Source: AP

Too many Iraq deaths, so Fort Lewis consolidates memorial services




Associated Press - May 30, 2007 10:45 AM ET

FORT LEWIS, Wash. (AP) - So many Fort Lewis soldiers are being killed in Iraq the Army base will no longer hold individual memorial services.

Starting next month Fort Lewis says it will hold one memorial a month for all the dead soldiers.

Sixteen Fort Lewis soldiers have been killed this month -- the most of the war, so far.

The Fort Lewis acting commander, Brigadier General William Troy, told staff last week that the number of soldiers in harm's way will preclude individual services.

About 10,000 Fort Lewis troops, including two Stryker brigades, are now in Iraq, the most since the 2003 invasion.

Some other Army posts have already consolidated services.



Read more: http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=6586120

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:(

the soldiers graves because there are too many and they cost too much. :(

Geez. They couldn't have sixteen services? Or maybe eight services with only two soldiers memorialized in each one?

:puke:

Absolutely shameful.

right Tony Snow? :-(

burial of veterans but now they just play a recording. There is a withering away of the little things that count in life. Maybe life has always been cheap but it seems to be getting cheaper.

live buglers are still used wherever and whenever possible. In some areas, where an active duty trumpet player is not available, there are civilian groups like the VFW and Boy Scouts that provide a civilian trumpet player. But its not always possible, and recordings are used quite a lot.

If the vet is buried at a cemetary near an Army base that has an active band, a bugler is provided if at all possible. When I was at Ft Bliss in El Paso, TX, the bugler on call for the week would regulary do 10 or more funerals a day - and this was long before the war started. At least they were all at the same cemetary.

:kick:

But I wonder how long before she's patrolling Bagdad with an M16?

I understand that the brass at Ft. Lewis has more important things to do than to honor their fallen, but can't we bring in some independent contractors to manage memorial services at 10 times the cost?

I suppose they are preparing for a horrible summer and fall!:cry: :kick:

You should see the comments, most from current and former military, on the Tacoma's newspaper site.

It's disgraceful really to even suggest it. Suprised they're not outsourcing the services, or is that next?

Just outrageous

What a fucked up mess we're living in. :wtf: :grr: