Not about AL. . .katie couric just reported that

[stellanoir]

the remains of 12 soldiers killed in a helicoptor crash in Iraq were buried at Arlington Cemetary today together in a single casket.

WTF ???

[rubberducky]

1. this can`t be true. How callous, if it is true.

[Captain Hilts]

2. No, not uncommon. The remains are probably burned and ...

flight crews are often buried together.

This is not just a US thing.

[IndyOp]

3. there may have been very little remaining - if the remains could not be

distinguished - one person from another - then burial together may have made sense...

:(

[stellanoir]

4. Just hadn't heard of it before so it sort of weirded me out.

Must have been horrific carnage and conflagration to reduce 12 people so.

[wndycty]

5. It is true, from the National Guard:

Soldiers interred at Arlington Cemetery

By Sgt. Mary Flynn
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. (10/12/2007) - Hundreds of Soldiers, family members and friends solemnly gathered for a group interment with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery today to honor 12 Soldiers killed in Iraq earlier this year.

The Soldiers, 10 from the Army National Guard and two from the active Army, were killed northeast of Baghdad Jan. 20, when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was shot down. Their combat deaths were the highest number of National Guard fatalities in a single incident since 2001.

They were Army Guard Soldiers: Col. Paul M. Kelly of Virginia; Lt. Col. David C. Canegata III of the Virgin Islands; Capt. Michael V. Taylor of Arkansas; Capt. Sean E. Lyerly of Texas; Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard of Iowa; Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller of Maryland; 1st Sgt. William T. Warren of Arkansas; Sgt. 1st Class Floyd E. Lake Sr., of the Virgin Islands; Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown of Arkansas; and Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker of Virginia. The active duty Army Soldiers were Col. Brian D. Allgood of Oklahoma and Cpl. Victor M. Langarica of Georgia.

The mourners gathered in a grassy area at the cemetery near a hillside, where other group interments have been held. Honors included a casket team, a firing party and a bugler, who played “Taps.” A single casket contained remains of the 12 Soldiers, but there were separate flags for each deceased Soldier.
-snip-

http://www.ngb.army.mil/news/archives/2007/10/101207-interred.aspx