Few Americans See Caskets Come Home: "Carolyn Hutchings, whose son, Marine Pvt. Nolen Ryan Hutchings, 20, was killed the same day and in the same area as Gifford, also was critical of the policy of denying media coverage at Dover.
'That's crap. I'm sorry, that's crap,' she said of the government's desire to protect families' privacy. 'Everybody knew my son had died,' she said. 'Why not acknowledge it? We already knew. ... Why not acknowledge it? He died for his country.'
She said local news media covered her son's arrival at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina, but public ceremonies and national coverage of the totality of the deaths is lacking.
'That's all you hear on TV, it's a count,' said Hutchings, her voice quavering. 'It's nothing but a count.'
She said she received a 'typed, generic letter' of condolence from President Bush.
'I'm sure everybody got the same one,' Hutchings said. 'I'm not impressed at all.'"
- posted by geoff @ #