# Photos of the returning coffins from Iraq

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-the-returning-coffins-from-iraq/241640>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-the-returning-coffins-from-iraq/241640 "2004-04-23T14:53:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-the-returning-coffins-from-iraq/241640/1 "2004-04-23T14:53:55Z")

</div>

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3652171.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3652171.stm)

Is this usual? Has this happened before during other conflicts? Vietnam was a very politically strained time in the US, did it happen then? This had to go to court

> [@](#):
>
> Since the beginning of the war, the media has been banned from Dover Air Force base in Delaware - the US military’s largest mortuary - where the coffins of American soldiers have been arriving.
> 
> But photographs of flag-draped coffins were released last week to activist Russ Kick, who filed a Freedom of Information Act request to receive the images.

> [@](#):
>
> Quite frankly, we don’t want the remains of our service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice to be the subject of any kind of attention that is unwarranted or undignified

I don’t believe that is the reason. I think it’s a politically motivated decision, as is a lot of the publishing of pics BTW. It’s a very political subject.

But is trying to hid these images away correct? It kind of looks like the coffins are the Admin dirty secret. That’s not very dignified if you ask me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-the-returning-coffins-from-iraq/241640/2 "2004-04-23T15:04:36Z")

</div>

Didn’t see the other thread. You can close this one as that you is older and has replies.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photos-of-the-returning-coffins-from-iraq/241640/3 "2004-04-23T15:24:04Z")

</div>

If a passing reader could use the report this post to a mod function I’d be grateful as you can’t report your own posts.