Who Attends the Dover Ceremonies?

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2009/07/20/who-attends-the-dover-ceremonies.aspx

Who Attends the Dover Ceremonies?


This USA Today story, on Dover Air Force Base, has one piece of good news that I didn't know:

Defense Secretary Robert Gates had expressed concern that if the news media covered transfers at Dover, relatives would feel compelled to attend — a financial hardship for some who lived far away. So his department decided to pay and help arrange travel, food and lodging for up to three people per family.

And, while the media has pretty much ignored the Dover ceremonies after fighting so hard for access to them--after an initial flurry of interest in April, these days only one Associated Press photog typically attends--families are taking advantage of DOD's offer. According to USAT, 7 out of 10 go to the ceremony at Dover. So at least one good thing has come out of the Pentagon's decision to open up Dover to the press--even if doesn't have to do with the press itself.

--Jason Zengerle