Right Call by the DoD

Honoring the Combat Fallen

There was a welcome change of policy made by the Defense Department this week.

Obama lifts ban on coffin photos

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is reversing an 18-year ban on news coverage of the return of war dead, allowing photographs of flag-covered caskets when families of the fallen troops agree, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

“My conclusion was we should not presume to make the decision for the families,” Gates said in announcing results of a quick review of a ban that had stood through Republican and Democratic administrations.

Although details are being worked out, the new policy will give families a choice of whether to admit the press to ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the entry point to the United States for the caskets of overseas war dead. (link)

Considering the honor and reverence the military treats the remains of our fallen warriors, I think that there won't be any problem as this policy works itself out.

Appropriately, this move comes on the heels of HBO's incredible original film, Taking Chance. And I'm happy to report that Nielsen released some impressive and refreshing news regarding the film's ratings:

From star-studded films to low-budget documentaries, efforts to tackle the ongoing war in Iraq have struggled to find an audience.

On the theatrical side, there’s been “Jarhead,” “Stop-Loss,” “Lions for Lambs,” “Redacted” and “In the Valley of Elah,” among others. While networks have launched FX’s “Over There” and HBO’s “Alive Day Memories,” “House of Saddam” and “Generation Kill.”

Not all were failures, but none were considered breakout hits. Media stories frequently concluded that Americans do not want — or are not ready — to watch stories about the conflict.

Then, on Saturday night, HBO debuted “Taking Chance,” which drew 2 million viewers and became the most-watched original movie to debut on the premium network in five years. (link)

I loved this movie, and I'm thrilled that millions of Americans took the hour and a half to watch Lt. Col. Strobl's journey. I can assure you they're better off for it, and I can't imagine anyone watching this movie without being profoundly moved.

If you haven't yet caught Taking Chance, do yourself a favor and catch it. Here are some of the upcoming shows (link).