What?! Is this really true? Why would Bush ban this ceremony? (from Cnn):

"The scene so familiar to older Americans -- of the military honor guard in white gloves, respectfully accompanying from the aircraft to the waiting loved ones the remains of the fallen warrior in the coffin covered by Old Glory, often with a military band offering an appropriately solemn piece -- was simply banned. George W. Bush's war against Iraq could not flunk the Dover test because there would be no Dover test."

The Dover test was named by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hugh Shelton; it was how he phrased determining if both the American government and the American people could support sending troops into combat:

"Is the American public prepared for the sight of our most precious resource coming home in flag-draped caskets into Dover Air Force Base in Delaware -- which is a point entry for our Armed Forces?"

He may have phrased this question recently (early 2000), but the ceremony has been going on at least since WWII. And I don't think some sort of administrative BS about time or manpower could really excuse omitting this ceremony, since America managed to pull it off during previous wars, with higher death tolls. I realize there are larger, more important issues one could attempt to fix at this point...but how could an administration that claims such patriotism, such love and respect for soldiers, ban such an emotional ceremony? As Mark Shields so eloquently puts it,

"By official government policy, there is no band to welcome them home. No honor guard to present the folded flag to their widow and orphan, to make certain the family knows that their loss is also their country's loss, that they do not weep alone. It is a cruel and ugly policy that robs the patriot of the glory and public honor he has earned and deserves."