# Berg's parents refused permission to meet his body at Dover AFB **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 14, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151 "2004-05-14T18:43:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/1 "2004-05-14T18:43:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Berg’s body arrived Wednesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. His parents had requested permission to be at the base when the coffin arrived, but that request was denied. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, said Thursday that refusal came from the Department of Defense. [http://cnn.worldnews.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=CNN.com+-+Was+Berg+in+U.S.+custody%3F+Answers+conflict+-+May+14%2C+2004&expire=&urlID=10251404&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2004%2FWORLD%2Fmeast%2F05%2F14%2Firaq.berg%2Findex.html&partnerID=2006](http://cnn.worldnews.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=CNN.com+-+Was+Berg+in+U.S.+custody%3F+Answers+conflict+-+May+14%2C+2004&expire=&urlID=10251404&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2004%2FWORLD%2Fmeast%2F05%2F14%2Firaq.berg%2Findex.html&partnerID=2006) David Berg died because of Bushco policies. Yet his parent were denied permission to greet his body?? Who the hell does Bushco think they are? What right to they have to deny his parents their right to grieve? The more things Bushco does the more I despise them. Let’s dump the whole damned bunch in November. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/2 "2004-05-14T18:53:30Z")
Don’t you have a thread specifically for Bush attacks? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/3 "2004-05-14T18:55:15Z")
IIRC he’s allowed one on the front page at any given time. I think the other one is long gone. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/4 "2004-05-14T19:19:45Z")
I agree that the refusal is pretty much bullshit. I can’t imagine the DoD’s reasoning behind this, but I’d love to know. It’s apparent that Mr. Berg is not a Bush fan - perhaps they were afraid he’d make a scene? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/5 "2004-05-14T19:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > David Berg died because of Bushco policies. Uh, I thought he died because of a bunch of guys with big knives. Anyway, more than 10,000 Iraqis, and hundred of US troops, have died over the past year due to ‘Bushco’ policies, what’s one more drop in the bucket? Anyway, weren’t you claiming the other day that the whole thing was faked? Seriously, though, I think I’ll wait for more info before jumping on this particular bandwagon. Have the familes of service members killed in Iraq routinely been allowed to meet the planes bringing the bodies home? Even if not, however, I’m not sure why Berg’s family would be refused permission to enter Dover AFB; hell, IIRC the base is the site of the Air Material Command museum, and the public is allowed in for that. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/6 "2004-05-14T19:26:48Z")
Or perhaps it’s SOP and they don’t want everyone’s parents to come pick up bodies at the bases. They let one group go then the rest get pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/7 "2004-05-14T20:42:20Z")
You’ve made this your personal crusade, **Reeder** , so I’ll ask this and leave the rest up to you: Starting, say, with World War II and going up to the present, has there EVER been a war where the families were allowed to meet the airplane to collect their family member’s body? I did a cursory search and came up with nothing. If the answer is no, if this is just a continuation of US policy, I would ask you to please knock this stuff off. If it’s yes, I’ll join you in your outrage. How’s that for a deal? Anyway, the ball’s in your court. Run with it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/8 "2004-05-14T20:50:20Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > You’ve made this your personal crusade, **Reeder** , so I’ll ask this and leave the rest up to you: Leaving the rest as an exercise for the Reeder? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/9 "2004-05-14T20:53:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Starting, say, with World War II and going up to the present, has there EVER been a war where the families were allowed to meet the airplane to collect their family member’s body? I did a cursory search and came up with nothing. Can you show me anywhere in my post, the story or anywhere else that says they wanted to take his body with them? They just wanted to be there when he arrived. And you would think that with the extroardinary circumstances surrounding his death you’d think that it would have been easy to give permission. And lest y’all forget David Berg was a civilian. Not a member of the armed forces. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/10 "2004-05-14T20:57:21Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > And lest y’all forget David Berg was a civilian. Not a member of the armed forces. And his name was _Nicholas_. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/11 "2004-05-14T21:03:05Z")
How exactly did the DoD come in contact with his body? Did they pick him up? Was he delivered by the murders? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/12 "2004-05-14T21:05:01Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > And his name was _Nicholas_. :rolleyes: My bad. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/13 "2004-05-14T21:05:11Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > And his name was _Nicholas_. :rolleyes: I normally don’t do this, but… OW3ND!!! ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/14 "2004-05-14T21:15:25Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > How exactly did the DoD come in contact with his body? Did they pick him up? Was he delivered by the murders? Even before the video made its ugly appearance, Berg’s body had been found by U.S. forces. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/15 "2004-05-14T21:55:17Z")
> [@](#): > > And lest y’all forget David Berg was a civilian. Not a member of the armed forces. Thanks for explaining what ‘civilian’ means, numbnuts. Oh, and your concern would seem a lot more sincere if you actually knew the name of the person you are expressing such sympathy for. Do you, by any chance, have any evidence at all that the White House directed the DOD to refuse the Bergs access to Dover AFB? If not, how do you figure Bush is personally at fault in this? Also, why would anyone deciding whether or not to vote for Bush come November weight this non-issue over all the other Iraq-related debacles that have come down the pike over the past few weeks? I mean, really, man. You get one thread in the Pit to spew about Bush, and with all the dozens of legitimate gripes that anyone may have, this is the best you can come up with? Way to swing for the fences, big guy. Anyway, keep up the good work, O master of the blindingly fucking obvious. The power of your mighty intellect, and your unerring nose for only the most pointless and irrelevant information, are sure to win the election. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/16 "2004-05-14T22:02:20Z")
I’m guessing that the DoD didn’t want to have a photo op of the negative kind and therefore denied access. Just my two bits. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/17 "2004-05-14T22:08:58Z")
By **Reeder** \* “David Berg died because of Bushco policies.”\* I’d be more inclined to say that he died through misadventure, after having failed to exercize any level of prudence while in dangerous circumstances. By **Reeder** :_"And you would think that with the extroardinary circumstances surrounding his death you’d think that it would have been easy to give permission._" WAG is that maybe they wanted to give a mortician a chance to do some work before the family saw the remains. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/18 "2004-05-14T22:22:28Z")
This is the best I can find on existing policy, from what appears to be a local [paper](http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/8650425.htm) in State College, Penn. > [@](#): > > Base spokesman Lt. Col. Jon Anderson said there was no outright prohibition on families’ being present, but the office of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said the Pentagon denied the family’s request to witness the arrival. FWIW ---
**Author:** ![MrTuffPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MrTuffPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrTuffPaws)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/19 "2004-05-14T22:25:12Z")
Yeah, they were refused access to the body, but what about the head? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151/20 "2004-05-14T23:03:06Z")
> [@MrTuffPaws](#): > > Yeah, they were refused access to the body, but what about the head? Think before you post. “Misguided” doesn’t even _begin_ to cover this one. Want to consider apologizing? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bergs-parents-refused-permission-to-meet-his-body-at-dover-afb/245151.md?page=2)