Community Corner
Bucks Gold Star Mom Named To Dover Investigation
She will serve on a panel investigating mortuary procedures at Dover Air Force Base.
Ruth V. Stonesifer of Kintnersville, mother of the first soldier to die in the War on Terror 10 years ago, has been named to a panel investigating mortuary procedures at Dover Air Force Base, according to a recent report by the official American Forces Press Service.
Last month, the Washington Post reported that the mortuary was the subject of a federal investigation into alleged mishandling of remains between 2003 and 2008.
According to the report, fragments or portions of body parts that could not be identified were cremated and dumped in a landfill in Virginia; body parts had been lost; and, in one instance, a Marine's arm had been removed so his body could fit into a casket.
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Stonesifer's son Kristofor, an Army ranger, was killed in action Oct. 19, 2001 during the first ground assault of Operation Enduring Freedom, the campaign to drive the Taliban out of Afghanistan and destroy Al Qaeda.
Stonesifer recently served a year as president of the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization that provides support services to family members of military casualties and to wounded vets.
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The Department of Defense announcement said Stonesifer will participate with five others, including mortuary experts, to review procedural changes that have been made and “make recommendations about any additional changes which may be required,” said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby.
A banner honoring Kristofer Stonesifer is displayed outside the in Doylestown, and the Star Garden, a small park featuring a broken-glass mosaic along Printer's Alley is dedicated to his memory.
Kris, a graduate of , was 28 years old and an Army Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He was on a mission from the deck of the USS Kitty Hawk to establish a base in Pakistan in support of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. He was killed, along with Specialist Jonn J. Edmunds, 20, when their Blackhawk helicopter made a hard landing, the two men spilled out the open door, and the aircraft rolled over on them.
