Burials at sea are routine

The burial at sea of terrorist Osama bin Laden raised some eyebrows around the world, but According to the Associated Press, for the U.S. Navy, it’s a routine exercise. The Navy says it commits to the sea an average of 20 deceased every month – veterans, retirees and other U.S. citizens. Pentagon officials said Monday that bin Laden’s body was placed in a “weighted bag.” An officer made some religious remarks and his body was placed on a flat board and tipped into the sea. The usual Navy burials at sea are similar, though include an honor guard that fires shots into the air and the playing of TAPS. For Americans who request such burials, U.S. vessels take the remains along with them and do the ceremony while the ships are on their scheduled deployments.

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.