The partial remains of at least 274 American troops were incinerated and dumped in a Virginia landfill, far more than the Air Force had initially reported, before the practice was stopped three years ago. Families had authorized the military to dispose of the remains in a dignified and respectful manner. The landfill dumping was conducted without their knowledge, and Air Force officials said they have no plans now to alert the families.
The Air Force had originally stated they could not estimate how many troop remains had been disposed in that manner. The new information was based on database information at the Dover Air Base Mortuary, where the remains of most war dead return. 976 fragments from274 military personnel were disposed at the King George County Landfill in Virginia, along with 1,762 remnants that were too damaged to undergo DNA testing.
