Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs, Military mortuary facility in Dover, Delaware, United States
The Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs is a military facility at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, dedicated to the care and preparation of fallen service members. The building was purpose-built for this function and receives the remains of military personnel who die abroad or in the line of duty.
Military remains have been processed at Dover Air Force Base since 1955, when an earlier facility first took on this role. The current center opened in 2003 to replace that older building with one built specifically for the task.
The center takes its name from Charles C. Carson Sr., a mortician who played a key role in managing military remains during the Vietnam War. His work shaped the standards the facility follows to this day.
The Dover Air Force Base is not open to the general public, and access to this facility is limited to authorized personnel and eligible family members. Anyone planning a visit should contact the base in advance to go through the required approval process.
Dover is the single port of entry for all American military personnel who die overseas, regardless of which branch of the armed forces they served in. This means the center has received the remains of service members from every major conflict the United States has been involved in since the mid-20th century.
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