Air Force Buried Remains in Virginia Dump: Report

Landfill in King George County

Service members' cremated remains were given a final resting place in a Virginia dump, according to the Washington Post.

Investigating the practices of mortuary officials at Dover Air Force Base, the Post traced the transfer of cremated body parts from the base to a landfill in King George County.

From the paper:

Air Force officials acknowledged the practice Wednesday in response to inquiries from The Washington Post. They said the procedure was limited to fragments or portions of body parts that were unable to be identified at first or were later recovered from the battlefield, and which family members had said could be disposed of by the military.


An officer with the Air Force likened the practice to the disposal of medical waste.

The Air Force says the procedures were in place from 2003 to 2008, but have since been changed.  Cremated remains are no longer sent to the Virginia landfill.

Dover Air Force receives remains from all U.S. service members killed overseas.

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