Georgetown Peabody Library

Soldier dead, how we recover, identify, bury, and honor our military fallen, Michael Sledge

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-331) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Soldier dead

bibliography

55960940

Michael Sledge

"What happens to members of the United States Armed Forces after they die? Why do soldiers endanger their lives to recover the remains of their comrades? Why does the military spend enormous resources and risk further fatalities to recover the bodies of the fallen, even decades after the cessation of hostilities? Soldier Dead is the first book to fully address the complicated physical, social, religious, economic, and political issues concerning the remains of men and women who die while serving their country. In doing so, Michael Sledge reveals the meanings of the war dead for families, soldiers, and the nation as a whole."

how we recover, identify, bury, and honor our military fallen

"Incorporating excerpts from interviews, personal correspondence and diaries, military records, and journalistic accounts - as well as never-before-published photographs and his own reflections - Michael Sledge presents a clear, concise, and compassionate story about what the dead mean to the living. Throughout Soldier Dead, the voices of the fallen are heard, as are those of family members and military personnel responsible for the dead before final disposition. At times disturbing and at other times encouraging, they are always powerful as they speak of danger, duty, courage, commitment, and care."--Jacket

1. Why it matters -- 2. Combat recoveries -- 3. Noncombat recoveries -- 4. Identification -- 5. The return of the dead -- 6. Burial -- 7. All bodies are not the same -- 8. Open wounds