Dover military personnel honor their comrades' return / DoD photo by Benjamin Faske
Just ask John Groth, a former Air Force reserve chaplain. It was his job to counsel the mortuary-affairs personnel who have tended to the more than 4,000 U.S. troops who have come home in flagged-draped coffins via Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base since 9/11:
It was his role to pray during the arrival of a flag-draped transfer case and be present during the examination of remains. He was ready to listen if mortuary staff needed to talk about how hard it was to deal with the sights, sounds and smells of death… combat death can batter human tissue with horrific force, and that leaves a lasting impression when body bags are opened…After 21 years of service, Groth was medically discharged from the Air Force Reserve in 2009 because of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Delaware News Journal has the full story.