Sage-Tips

What happened to all the bodies from World War 2?

The answer depends on where the bodies were. Some were buried in mass graves, some were incinerated, some (relatively few) were brought back home and reintered. Some just disappeared. There are military graveyards all over north Africa, Italy, France filled with soldiers and sailors that never went back home.

Do they bury empty caskets?

Many times when a loved ones body is not present due to the nature of death, families will bury an empty casket or place personal letters and belongings in there for closure. It’s not uncommon as people need a place to mourn and they will use the cemetery to do so.

Where are the dead soldiers buried?

Arlington National Cemetery is a United States military cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., in whose 639 acres (259 ha) the dead of the nation’s conflicts have been buried, beginning with the Civil War, as well as reinterred dead from earlier wars.

Who collected the dead bodies during ww2?

The U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps improvised their own burial procedures, but the army—which suffered nearly four times as many deaths as the Marines and navy combined—took the lead in joint operations and bore the brunt of the grim task. The 612th was a typical army company even if its mission was not.

What is the difference between a coffin and a casket?

The Coffin Coffins get tapered to conform to the shape of a human form. A coffin also has a removable lid while caskets have lids with hinges. Coffins are usually made out of wood and lined with cloth interiors. Unlike caskets, they do not have rails that make transportation easier.

Do veterans get buried standing up?

The VA, upon request and at no charge to the applicant, will furnish an upright headstone or flat marker for the grave of any deceased eligible veteran in any cemetery around the world. Upright headstones are available in granite and marble, and flat markers are available in granite, marble and bronze.

Do they still find bodies from ww2?

As the earthly remains of the fallen soldiers have been found after the WWII, they are still today evacuated back home and buried in war graves. Since it’s been over 60 years since the war ended, all the flesh has decayed away, and only bones remain, the coffins are merely ossuaries.

What happens to all the bodies after a battle?

Typically in modern times the bodies are buried by the local people or military units after identification as much as possible. Most modern western armies return the bodies for burial in their home nation, other armies they are often buried in cemeteries within the the battlezone.

Who performed burial services during World War II?

Until graves registration troops were trained and sent overseas, chaplains, medical service troops, and line soldiers performed burials.

How did WW2 soldiers learn to bury their dead?

In order to understand the challenges of terrain, the men built model cemeteries, complete with 100 model graves and white wooden crosses. Conducting burials in a combat zone was a far more difficult task, but the graves registration bible, Field Manual 10-63, taught them to do it the army way.

What was it like to dig up a grave in WW1?

Digging graves was a back-breaking effort—work that often fell to service troops, usually African American. The army also used local civilians or German prisoners; the latter became dedicated workers once they realized the graves were not for them. The work took a psychological toll on the men.

Should the military retrieve the bodies of the fallen?

For the American military, the past century has put more emphasis on retrieving the bodies of the fallen, even when retrieving the fallen puts others at risk.