Honoring fallen heroes should not be a secret; coffins should be shown

Respect, dignity, reverence and kindness. These are the words that describe the journey Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps encountered as he made his way home from Iraq.

Sadly, Phelps was unable to respond to the reactions he drew from others. His flag-draped coffin was escorted by a Marine officer to Dubois, Wyo. There Dubois’ fallen son, Chance, would be reunited with his family and friends for his funeral and final resting place.

If this story seems familiar, you may have read the account on the Internet as written by Chance’s military escort, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl. Or, like me, you may have watched the film “Taking Chance,” which premiered on HBO Saturday.

Based on Strobl’s travel journal, “Taking Chance” is not a huzzah-filled “war picture,” nor is the 80-minute film a diatribe against the War in Iraq. Instead it is a meditation on what it means to honor a fallen soldier. It also demonstrates, with respect and dignity, the process the military follows to prepare our men and women killed in action for their final journey back home.

The producers of the film received cooperation from Dover Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Dover has carried out the process of caring for dead service members more than 50,000 times since 1955.

Since the early 1990s, the arrival of the coffins from overseas and the ceremony of the flag-draped coffins has not been public. The so-called “Dover Ban” has forbidden media coverage of the arrival of the coffins containing the casualties.

This ban is now back in the limelight, from two different angles: A Republican congressman and President Barack Obama.

Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., has introduced the Fallen Hero Commemoration Act (HR 269) in the 111th Congress. As reported by the National Press Photographers Association, “The bill will allow credentialed media members to photograph Dover’s military ceremonies as bodies of soldiers killed on active duty return home, as well as covering flag-draped coffins arriving at any military
installation.”

At Obama’s live evening press conference a few weeks ago, he was asked about reconsidering the Dover Ban. He did not reference Rep. Jones bill, but the president said that there are discussions with the Department of Defense about the ban, but no decision had been made yet.

Obama’s first response to the question about the ban on the coverage at Dover was very telling, “Your question is timely. We got reports that four American service members have been killed in Iraq today. And, you know, obviously, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families.”

The president continued, “I’ve said before that — you know, people have asked me, when did it hit you that you are now president? And what I told them was the most sobering moment is signing letters to the families of our fallen heroes. It reminds you of the responsibilities that you carry in this office and — and the consequences of the decisions that you make.”

President Obama has promised more transparency during his administration. So will he follow his own principles to lift this ban and allow the media to cover the solemn ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base?

If the president himself has a reality check as he signs each letter of a fallen service member, why should we bring them in through the back door? Out of sight is often out of mind. We cannot afford to keep these men and women out of sight.

We owe each member of the military a great deal of gratitude for his or her service to us. But we owe the ones who do not come back alive even more dignity and respect: They paid a price for us with their lives.

FYI: If you do not have HBO, see “Taking Chance” with someone who does, or purchase it when it comes out on DVD.

Walker’s column runs each Wednesday on the editorial page.