Agreed. It is a beautiful display of respect, and a constant, powerful reminded of the terrible cost of war.

The only people against this, the only people wishing to hide our soldiers when they are returned home, are the cowards who want to wage war without comment, and the heartless who cannot stop to thank a soldier for paying the ultimate sacrifice, regardless of their intolerance for war.

Reminded = reminder...need more coffee :)

vartian: The only people against this, the only people wishing to hide our soldiers when they are returned home, are the cowards who want to wage war without comment, and the heartless who cannot stop to thank a soldier for paying the ultimate sacrifice, regardless of their intolerance for war.

Like when Harper tried to ban the press from taking pictures of the repatriation ceremonies?

True patriots ban even photographing the returning fallen.

It's the American way!

I wish there were more public displays in the USA.

But I was led to believe that allowing the public to see, and honor, its war dead would embolden our enemies. Was I lied to? I... I... I just don't know what to think anymore!

Family friend of ours was vehemently against photographing or publishing pictures of our fallen heroes. Incidentally he was also a Bush supporter and republican.

I could never understand that kind of disrespect for the soldiers.

absoluteparanoia: Family friend of ours was vehemently against photographing or publishing pictures of our fallen heroes. Incidentally he was also a Bush supporter and republican.

I could never understand that kind of disrespect for the soldiers.

I would suspect that it has little to do with disrespect for the soldiers. I've often thought that the US policy had little to do with respect for privacy of the families and more to do with hiding the nastier side of armed conflict for political reasons.

Oh- that would be disrespect for the soldiers, wouldn't it?

The repatriations are pretty impressive, more so because they're spontaneous. I've been part of a few.

40below: The repatriations are pretty impressive, more so because they're spontaneous. I've been part of a few.

awesome pictures.

I was close to being in one last week. I was saved from having to hand in my man card for tearing up because I was 15 min too far away from the overpass.

MarshWoman: absoluteparanoia: Family friend of ours was vehemently against photographing or publishing pictures of our fallen heroes. Incidentally he was also a Bush supporter and republican.

I could never understand that kind of disrespect for the soldiers.

I would suspect that it has little to do with disrespect for the soldiers. I've often thought that the US policy had little to do with respect for privacy of the families and more to do with hiding the nastier side of armed conflict for political reasons.

Well I was being nice. He honestly believed that if we showed the bodies, then people might question the war in Iraq. Somehow this all made sense to him.

Unsung_Hero: I was close to being in one last week. I was saved from having to hand in my man card for tearing up because I was 15 min too far away from the overpass.

I was driving east near Trenton in mid-December when three came home and it was tough to find a place to pull over to the side on 401 that day, so many people had stopped their vehicles to stand on the shoulder. Everything stopped when the hearses appeared in the distance, and 30 seconds after they passed, traffic was back to normal. It does choke you up.

absoluteparanoia: Well I was being nice. He honestly believed that if we showed the bodies, then people might question the war in Iraq. Somehow this all made sense to him.

Why yes, you are being very nice.

Awesome pics 40below!

40below: The repatriations are pretty impressive, more so because they're spontaneous. I've been part of a few.

Wow. That is just really cool.

One more reason why I really like Canada.

MarshWoman: Awesome pics 40below!

They're not mine, but here's a few more. I'm probably going to get ripped as being smug, but this mass demonstration of respect makes me immensely proud to be a Canadian.

Pretty sure Canada shuts down for the winter.

I don't see why giving opponents to the war an opportunity to plaster caskets of the deceased all over their publications is "honoring" the fallen. Anyone who thinks that the United States is failing to honor its military is delusional.

/active-duty sailor

40below: I'm probably going to get ripped as being smug...

There's nothing wrong with a sense of national pride. I'm proud to be a landed immigrant in Canada.

Why should we waste our beautiful minds on such unpleasantness?

These public displays are pathetic and only serve to make the participants feel better about themselves. Soldiers die in war. Ruck up, move out and press on.

That is beautiful.

kleppe: I don't see why giving opponents to the war an opportunity to plaster caskets of the deceased all over their publications is "honoring" the fallen.

Strangely enough, I haven't seen this happening.

nastyboi: These public displays are pathetic and only serve to make the participants feel better about themselves. Soldiers die in war. Ruck up, move out and press on.

Go back to the UK, shiateater.

kleppe: I don't see why giving opponents to the war an opportunity to plaster caskets of the deceased all over their publications is "honoring" the fallen. Anyone who thinks that the United States is failing to honor its military is delusional.

/active-duty sailor

Agree. And the comment that "Dead American soldiers..are hustled off without ceremony to the mortuary and onward to burial." Is completely false. They are given honors at every step of their journey home.

That is pretty cool. First time i heard of it but it would be nice to see something like this in the states. Doubtful it would ever happen here, but it would be nice.

It's even more interesting they are honoring 112 fallen soldiers. We've lost over 4,000 in Iraq and 590 in Afghanistan yet all you see over here is bumberstickers and flagpins. This highway thing means a whole lot more. If anything like this happens in my area I would be more than happy to join, maybe even throw on my old dress blues...if they fit anymore :(

Klippoklondike:

We've lost over 4,000 in Iraq and 590 in Afghanistan yet all you see over here is bumberstickers and flagpins.

My Mom has a yellow ribbon on her car. She bought it from the support group of my cousin's unit. The money was used to send care packages to that unit

Nothing stokes the vicious fires of nationalism like idolizing those who are too poor or too stupid to find work in a position other than brute. You stand on the overpass and cheer an ideal, not a man. You cry for an abstract meaning, rather than a concrete loss. You reaffirm your devotion to a government that neither cares nor wishes to improve your life, and for a moment you exist as a speck in the ideal of "nation," letting that meaningless concept fill your soul like a glass of wine with a luxurious dinner.

Here's to you, crying overpass people.

May you learn to accept human loss without the need to guise it in patriotism.

Hang On Voltaire: kleppe: I don't see why giving opponents to the war an opportunity to plaster caskets of the deceased all over their publications is "honoring" the fallen. Anyone who thinks that the United States is failing to honor its military is delusional.

/active-duty sailor

Agree. And the comment that "Dead American soldiers..are hustled off without ceremony to the mortuary and onward to burial." Is completely false. They are given honors at every step of their journey home.

I just keep picturing some photographer from a less-than-reputable organization trying to get a snapshot of the caskets being taken off the plane, and then when he is refused the opportunity he starts crying about wanting to "honor" them. It reminds me of the Westboro people that just want to cause hurt and pain to people but hide behind the First Amendment.

Hang On Voltaire: They are given honors at every step of their journey home.

Nobody is denying that. So are our guys. But those are military ceremonials. What makes this different is that it is the only time civilians have a place in the honours, and it came about spontaneously because they wanted to do something.

Hang On Voltaire
My Mom has a yellow ribbon on her car. She bought it from the support group of my cousin's unit. The money was used to send care packages to that unit

I'm not knocking those things and it's nice to get packages on deployment. But, what these Canadians are doing seems more personal and it would be nice to see more folks in the states doing things like that.

40below:

Nobody is denying that. So are our guys. But those are military ceremonials. What makes this different is that it is the only time civilians have a place in the honours, and it came about spontaneously because they wanted to do something.

That is not what he said. Further there are crowds and ceremony at many places when the soldiers return home. Daniel McCall lived near me, here is the beginning of the story from when he returned home: Hundreds of law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency responders and residents, many holding American flags, lined the 33-mile route Thursday from West Milton Church of Christ to Barrancas National Cemetery to pay final respects to Army Sgt. Daniel L. McCall. McCall, a 2001 Pace High graduate who would have turned 25 on Nov. 25, was killed Oct. 30 by an improvised explosive device in Salmen Pak, Iraq. (new window)

Klippoklondike:
I'm not knocking those things and it's nice to get packages on deployment. But, what these Canadians are doing seems more personal and it would be nice to see more folks in the states doing things like that.

Yes you were knocking those things. It amazes me that people hate when someone wears a flag lapel pin and/or has a ribbon on their car. Further, they DO do things like that in the states.

That is not what he said. Further there are crowds and ceremony at many places when the soldiers return home. Daniel McCall lived near me, here is the beginning of the story from when he returned home: Hundreds of law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency responders and residents, many holding American flags, lined the 33-mile route Thursday from West Milton Church of Christ to Barrancas National Cemetery to pay final respects to Army Sgt. Daniel L. McCall. McCall, a 2001 Pace High graduate who would have turned 25 on Nov. 25, was killed Oct. 30 by an improvised explosive device in Salmen Pak, Iraq. (new window)

That's pretty cool. Do these kind of things happen a lot in the States and the media just isn't reporting on it? I never hear anything like that in the news.

strathcona: nastyboi: These public displays are pathetic and only serve to make the participants feel better about themselves. Soldiers die in war. Ruck up, move out and press on.

Go back to the UK, shiateater.

Too busy makin' mad Tar sands cash.

Han On Voltaire

No I wasn't knocking those things. I have a Support our troops bumper sticker. I'm saying that the overwhelming attitude here in America is they think that only doing that makes them a super patriot. I served 4 years and pay my dues to the VFW (not that it's much) and I would STILL love to do something like what the article mention, it's just the first time I've heard of it.

Small things are nice, but you don't have to stop there.

Kierkegaard's Pseudonym: Nothing stokes the vicious fires of nationalism like idolizing those who are too poor or too stupid to find work in a position other than brute. You stand on the overpass and cheer an ideal, not a man. You cry for an abstract meaning, rather than a concrete loss. You reaffirm your devotion to a government that neither cares nor wishes to improve your life, and for a moment you exist as a speck in the ideal of "nation," letting that meaningless concept fill your soul like a glass of wine with a luxurious dinner.

Here's to you, crying overpass people.

May you learn to accept human loss without the need to guise it in patriotism.

Personally, when it comes to the military, I think the world needs more Japan or Costa Rica.

Klippoklondike: That's pretty cool. Do these kind of things happen a lot in the States and the media just isn't reporting on it? I never hear anything like that in the news.

What he said.

vartian: Agreed. It is a beautiful display of respect, and a constant, powerful reminded of the terrible cost of war.

The only people against this, the only people wishing to hide our soldiers when they are returned home, are the cowards who want to wage war without comment, and the heartless who cannot stop to thank a soldier for paying the ultimate sacrifice, regardless of their intolerance for war.

Read "War Is A Racket".

In many cases these guys didn't make the ultimate sacrifice.

They were marks in the ultimate con game.

Klippoklondike:

That's pretty cool. Do these kind of things happen a lot in the States and the media just isn't reporting on it? I never hear anything like that in the news.

Happens all the time. The media does report on it and that is why I don't get that guys statement. I remember when Howard Johnson was killed in Iraq. They shut down the interstate for his funeral procession and there were people lined on the roads with American flags. The Governor, Mayor and both US Senators and over 1,000 people were at the funeral

birdboy2000: Personally, when it comes to the military, I think the world needs more Japan or Costa Rica.

Yes. Yes, the Japanese are not at all the sort of folks to kill millions of fellow Asians in an politico-economic/racist frenzy to expand beyond their own home islands.

Klippoklondike: I have a Support our troops bumper sticker.

But your flag decal won't get you

Into heaven anymore

They're already overflowing

From your dirty little war

No Jesus don't like killin

No matter what the reasons for

But your flag decal won't get you

Into heaven anymore

( and one on my wifes forehead )

As a Canadian I must ask why these damn stories hit fark every 2 weeks.

Hang On Voltaire: I remember when Howard Johnson was killed in Iraq. They shut down the interstate for his funeral procession and there were people lined on the roads with American flags. The Governor, Mayor and both US Senators and over 1,000 people were at the funeral

I heard they stopped serving fried clams.

Damn i love those.

brynaldo: As a Canadian I must ask why these damn stories hit fark every 2 weeks.

Because the average memory of a Farker is slightly less than two weeks.

I got a fever...and the only prescription...is More Canada!

brynaldo: As a Canadian I must ask why these damn stories hit fark every 2 weeks.

Because it gives canadians the opportunity to get all self-righteous over their American cousins and start up a good old fashioned flame war. Kind of the purpose for Fark isn't it?

brynaldo: As a Canadian I must ask why these damn stories hit fark every 2 weeks.

As an american i must ask...

can you get me Canadian citizenship ?

Ya gotta help me man.

This country is a nut house.