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John Glenn’s remains were disrespected at the military's mortuary, Pentagon documents allege
[MILITARYTIMES] A senior mortuary employee at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware twice offered horrified inspectors a peek at American icon John Glenn's dead body while the famed astronaut awaited burial earlier this year, according to an internal memo obtained by Military Times. Things have certainly changed a lot, apparently. The last time I was at Dover, ten years ago, they were almost over-correct about military remains. The disturbing allegation has outraged Pentagon officials and sparked a top-level investigation to determine whether misconduct was committed. The memo, written by Deborah Skillman, the Defense Department's director of casualty and mortuary affairs, states the employee's alleged actions were "clearly inappropriate and personally shocking." The document is dated May 11. Glenn, who in 1962 became the first American to orbit Earth, was 95 when he died Dec. 8. A combat-decorated Marine, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors April 6, on what would've been his 74th wedding anniversary. Glenn's family asked the Air Force to care for his remains in the interim, a request that was granted to "ensure an increased level of privacy and security for a renowned public servant, Marine Corps officer, and pioneer of space exploration," Skillman's memo states. It was during that time, first on Feb. 28 and again on March 2, when William Zwicharowski, the mortuary's branch chief, "offered to allow the inspectors to view the dear departed." Skillman was among them. "Moreover," she wrote, "this offer to view the remains was also made in the presence of, and observed by, junior personnel on the Dover Mortuary Branch staff." Posted by: Fred 2017-05-26 |
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