Respect for the war dead

It's about time they started treating the war dead with some respect for their sacrifice. After years of sending them home in the freight compartments of commercial airliners like so much excess baggage, a father's quest for dignity for his fallen son has forced the White House to change its policy and treat the lost soldiers with some honor.

In an about-face by the U.S. government four years into the war in Iraq, America's fallen troops are being brought back to their families aboard charter jets instead of ordinary commercial flights, and the caskets are being met by honor guards in white gloves instead of baggage handlers with forklifts.

I can't think of anything more devastating to a family than to have to bring their own hearse to a loading dock at the nearest major airport and retreive their loved ones' dead bodies by forklift from among cases of tuna fish and crates of cheap junk from foreign manufacturers.

Now, the military is flying the dead into smaller regional airports closer to their hometowns, so that they can be met by their families and, in some cases, receive community tributes. And the caskets are being borne from the plane by an honor guard.

Of course, this comes at a greater cost, but considering the billions they blow every month on the occupation, it amounts to small change.

Last year, the U.S. military spent about $1.2 million to bring home the dead on commercial flights. Switching to charter flights will cost far more: The six-month Kalitta contract is worth up to $11 million.

You would think Kalitta might have given the government a discount on this one since they already make money on other DoD contracts but this is one time I'm willing to overlook the political patronage, at least for the moment, in order to ensure the families are able to bring their lost loved ones home to their final resting places with grace and an appropriately respectful ceremony.