In Notification of Army Deaths, More Pain

[kpete]

April 7, 2006
In Notification of Army Deaths, More Pain
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
After Neil Santorello heard the news that his son, a tank commander, had been killed in Iraq, from the officer in his living room, he walked out his front door and removed the American flag from its pole. Then, in tears, he tore down the yellow ribbons from his tree.

Rather than see it as the act of a man unmoored by the death of his 24-year-old son, the officer, an Army major, confronted Mr. Santorello, saying,

"Don't be disrespectful," Mr. Santorello recalled. Then, the officer, whose job it is to inform families of their loss, quickly disappeared without offering any comfort.

Later, the Santorellos heard a piece of crushing but inaccurate news: They would not be allowed to look inside their son's coffin. First Lt. Neil Santorello, of Verona, Pa., had been killed by an improvised bomb. His body, the family was told, was unviewable.

The Santorellos eventually learned that families have the right to see a loved one's body.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/us/07notify.html?pagewanted=print

[malaise]

1. These fascists have gone mad

Imagine the pain of that family - heard this on Washington Journal this morning.

[teenagebambam]

2. How things have changed

When my career-Navy brother was killed (Carter administration) the informing officer stayed with our family until the funeral was over, openly railed against the unfairness of it all, and vigorously disagreed with the Navy's official account of how the death had occured.

[AllegroRondo]

3. There are supposed to be 2 officers

at least since the early 90's when I went through the class.

The first one is simply to inform the family, the second contacts them later (usually the next day) to help them through the red tape of the funeral and everything else.

This mans actions are still inexcusable.