Doing the Right Thing

Nothing like a little sunshine on a story to bring it out of the darkness and into the public sensibilities. On July 10, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote about Gina Gray, former Public Affairs Director at Arlington National Cemetery who ran afoul of her managers in an attempt to allow media coverage of funerals of Iraq war dead with permission of the families.

On Saturday, the Post reports that Army Secretary Pete Geren has asked his staff for an internal review to examine the Army's firing last month of Gina Gray. While there might be reason for some skepticism that an honest and forthright investigation will actually take place, there is hope that this publicity will encourage it. In this case, the media actually did their job and I give kudos for that.

On a related note, I was the only Gold Star Family member who had commented on the initial story. A friend suggested I send a Letter to the Editor at the Post and on Saturday with a bit of editing, my letter was one of 3 letters in response to the initial article.

When I was notified that my only child was killed in Iraq on May 30, 2004, I requested a photograph of his body's arrival at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. My request was denied because it was "against Army regulations" and "to protect the privacy of the families" -- apparently without regard to a family's specific request.
When I was planning my son's burial at Arlington National Cemetery, I do not recall if I was asked about media coverage, but at least one reporter from The Post was present. I welcomed the presence of the media, in part because I wanted to remember the day.
America should be privileged to witness the ceremony and dignity of a military funeral.
America should be required to witness and experience a family's mournful loss as they bury a loved one. America should be allowed to mourn, if only briefly, as it bears witness to the human cost of war.
It seems that as public affairs director at the cemetery, Gina Gray, was attempting to honor the wishes of the families, and I applaud her efforts. Families going through the casualty process are extremely fragile and need more professionals like Ms. Gray to be their advocates at Arlington National Cemetery.

Further, in the initial article, Dana Milbank had written

The ghost of Rummy is proving difficult to exorcise. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has tried to sweep out the symbols of his predecessor's capricious reign, firing acolytes of Donald Rumsfeld and bringing glasnost to the Pentagon. But in one area, Rummy's Rules still pertain: the attempt to hide from public view the returning war dead.

One of the other Letters to the Editor was from Keith Urbahn from Donald Rumsfeld's office.

To the contrary, the longstanding Defense Department policies reflected the American public's right to know of the sacrifices made by U.S. men and women in uniform while respecting their family members' wishes for privacy.
Further, Mr. Milbank's suggestion of Mr. Rumsfeld's ongoing influence over personnel decisions -- a year and a half after his departure from the Pentagon -- is a ridiculous stretch, and it is a discredit to the men and women at the Defense Department who decide and implement the policies governing how the nation's fallen are laid to rest.

Mr Urbahn is full of crap. It's not surprising that Mr Urbahn protests so much especially when this kind of incident clearly demonstrates how some people at the Department of Defense drank the Rumsfeld koolaid willingly and still do. Mr Urbahn's boss's unfortunate lasting legacy will always be the arrogance he had for the military and their families. Rumsfeld's casual attitude towards the conditions of the boots on the ground and the damage his policies caused only added to the anguish we families of the fallen live with daily. (Don't forget that back in 2004, as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld could not be bothered to personally sign the letters of condolence that he sent to more than 1000 families of the fallen)

Finally, thanks to Operation Yellow Elephant for noting my original comment. The kind words are gratefully appreciated.

Putting Her Foot Down and Getting the Boot

Former Arlington Public Affairs Director, Gina Gray was recently fired after being on that job for less than 3 months. It seems that Ms Gray felt that her job was, in part, to be an advocate for families. Dana Milbank from the Washington Post reports that Ms Gray

discovered that cemetery officials were attempting to impose new limits on media coverage of funerals of the Iraq war dead -- even after the fallen warriors' families granted permission for the coverage. She said that the new restrictions were wrong and that Army regulations didn't call for such limitations.

Just 10 days on the job, she was handling media coverage for the burial of a Marine colonel who had been killed in Iraq when she noticed that Thurman Higginbotham, the cemetery's deputy superintendent, had moved the media area 50 yards away from the service, obstructing the photographs and making the service inaudible. The Washington Sketch column on April 24 noted that Gray pushed for more access to the service but was "apparently shot down by other cemetery officials."

In response to Gray's actions, retaliation in her workplace took place from her supervisors. Further, Milbank reports,

Arlington's problems with the burial of the Iraq dead go far beyond Gray; the cemetery is looking for its fourth public affairs director in the past few years. Gray contends that Higginbotham has been calling the families of the dead to encourage them not to allow media coverage at the funerals -- a charge confirmed by a high-ranking official at Arlington, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Gray says Higginbotham told staff members that he called the family of the next soldier scheduled for burial at Arlington and that the family, which had originally approved coverage, had changed its mind. Gray charges that Higginbotham admitted he had been making such calls to families for a year and said that the families "appreciated him keeping the media out."

When I was notified my only child was killed in Iraq on 5.30.2004, I requested a photograph of his body being treated with dignity and respect as he arrived at Dover AFB, the mortuary for the military. I was repeatedly denied my request that week because it was “against Army regulations” and “it is to protect the privacy of the families”- apparently without regard to a family’s specific request.

Additionally, should a family wish to meet their loved one’s remains as they make the final journey home, the Department of Defense strongly discourages family members from coming to Dover to watch the caskets of the dead unload. "It's a tarmac, not a parade ground".

When I was planning my son’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery, I cannot remember if I was asked about media coverage, but at least one reporter from the Washington Post was present. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55823-2004Oct22.html While Mr Markon’s report was not totally accurate, it provided a fair representation of the service. I welcomed the presence of the media, in part, because I wanted to remember the day.

America should be privileged to witness the ceremony and dignity of a military funeral. America should be required to witness and experience a family’s mournful loss as they bury their loved one, whose years on this earth were too few. America should be allowed to mourn, if only briefly, as they bear witness to the human cost of war. America owes at least that much respect for those who died while serving their country, while so few others serve.

It seems that Ms Gray was making an attempt to honor the wishes of the family, something that a family may not be able to stand up for during this difficult time and I applaud her efforts. Families going through the casualty process are extremely fragile and need more professionals at ANC like Ms Gray to be their advocate.

After more than 7 years of war and 4662 US casualties from Iraq & Afghanistan, one would have hoped for more transparency from an administration responsible for the carnage. I have little hope that the wishes of Gold Star families will ever be a priority during this presidency. January 2009 cannot come too soon for this Gold Star Mother.