Local News radio interviews author at book-signing

The National Museum of Health and Medicine hosted a lecture and book-signing by author Michael Sledge, who discussed his new book, “Soldier Dead.” The book examines why recovering the remains of U.S. service people is important and also provides an analysis of the processes of recovery, identification, return, burial, and remembrance of the dead. The book addresses the handling of the fallen soldier, how it has evolved over time, and how these changes have advanced technology and capabilities and affected the shifting attitudes of the public, government, and military.

The lecture and book-signing was promoted in The Washington Post prior to the event in an article that featured an interview with Sledge. The event was covered by a reporter from WTOP-AM news radio who taped the presentation and interviewed Sledge afterward for her audience. Copies of the book are available for sale in the museum’s gift shop.

Sledge spoke for an hour on his reasons for writing the book and how it is organized. He discussed each chapter, highlighting important facts and stories. He noted the great service that soldiers provide to the nation and the courage that is shown when soldiers are enlisting. “When you join the military,” Sledge said, “you sign your name in blood. Literally.” The DNA Repository of the Office of the Armed Forces of the Medical Examiner takes and maintains a sample of blood from all soldiers, should there be only remains left with which to identify a body.

Because of the sensitive issues that surround a war, Sledge said that he sees the government and military officials as “keepers of the stories.” He feels that it is their job to protect the soldiers’ families, to maintain the dignity of the soldier and to also give the public a fair report of events that occur overseas.

The title, “Soldier Dead,” is a Civil War phrase, Sledge explained, that was a plural word often placed at the top of a list of men who had died in battle. The term was replaced in the 1930s with “war dead,” to refer to casualties. Sledge explained that “soldier dead is more personal and real,” which is why he chose it for the title of his book.

The lecture was attended by many military personnel who were connected to the topic in many ways-- families, medical examiners and soldiers were able to ask Sledge directly about his feelings on when families should be notified of a soldier’s death, what rights the media and the country have concerning fallen soldiers and how repatriation should be handled by the Office of the Armed Forces of the Medical Examiner.

Sledge answered questions and entertained comments for about 30 minutes before sitting down to sign copies of his book. He felt that it was “important to write personal messages that will further convey the strength of the book’s contents and will thank the readers for their support.”