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Colin Chauret: Soldiers' cremation at pet facility proves administration's moral bankruptcy

Colin Chauret  —  6/09/2008 6:38 am

Dear Editor: President Bush's photo op on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring war dead with special emphasis on GIs killed the past year, was a farce, in light of the following.

Earlier in May, a revelation came to light when an Army officer went to pay respects to a military comrade being cremated at a facility in which the sign reads, "Friends Forever Pet Cremation." Offended, the officer sent an e-mail to the Pentagon.

Since 2001, the U.S. military has cremated over 200 service members' remains at this facility near Dover Air Force Base. Service members would drop off the remains one day and pick them up the next.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates found this to be insensitive and entirely inappropriate and offered the deepest apology to families of the fallen. He indicated there was no evidence of any human remains being cremated with pets; however, they were processed in the same room, a few feet apart! Cremation of military remains have since been discontinued at this facility.

This administration is so inept and morally bankrupt to have allowed this type of desecration of our honored dead, it is almost impossible to believe.

Col. Colin J.N. Chauret, USAF Retired

Universal City, Texas

Colin Chauret  —  6/09/2008 6:38 am