Dead soldier's mother defies Pentagon over body return

The mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq invited news coverage of the arrival of her son’s flag-draped casket at Sacramento International Airport – in contrast with Pentagon policy banning photographs of the coffins of dead soldiers on military facilities.

Nearly a dozen reporters, photographers and television crews were present when the coffin of Army Sgt Patrick McCaffrey, 34, was transferred to a hearse outside a cargo terminal on Sunday.