From a TV station in San Diego, a report on a local family shocked to discover that the body of their 21-year-old son, killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq last month, was being shipped home via air freight on a commercial flight.
“When someone dies in combat, they need to give them due respect they deserve for (the) sacrifice they made,” said John Holley.
John and Stacey Holley, who were both in the Army, made some calls, and with the help of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, Matthew was greeted with honor and respect.
“Our familiarity with military protocol and things of that sort allowed us to kind of put our foot down — we’re not sure other parents have that same knowledge,” said Stacey Holley.
It’s worth watching the video the station posted with its Web story for the editorial tone. San Diego’s an old military town and mostly pretty reliably Republican. It’s not good news when the locals start calling the Republican-led Pentagon for treating their dead kids like just another overnight shipment.