NATIONWIDE - February 27 - Gold Star Families Speak Out, a national chapter of Military Families Speak Out, issued the following statement on learning that President Obama has decided to allow each Gold Star family to decide whether they would like photographers present at Dover Air Force Base when their loved ones' remains return to the United States:

Gold Star Families Speak Out is grateful to President Obama for lifting the ban on photographs of the caskets of the dead returning to Dover Air Force Base and allowing each family to make the decision whether if they would request a photograph of their loved one's casket".

For too long the human sacrifices of the war in Iraq have only been visible to military families. How could our nation mourn with the Gold Star families if they did not see the dead returning to our country? How would future generations learn the cost of war if there was no photographic evidence of our losses?

The Bush administration rendered our families' sacrifices invisible. It brings us a small measure of peace to know that future Gold Star families will be granted the dignity of deciding whether and how to share their grief with the country their loved ones served with courage and honor.

At the same time, it brings us great pain to know that some of our country's finest women and men continue to die in Iraq. We hope that as the President and Congress watch the flag draped caskets of our troops return to Dover Air Force Base they will be moved to finally bring an end to this shameful chapter in our nation's history by bringing all of our troops home from Iraq and giving them the care they need when they get here.

Members of Gold Star Families Speak Out are available for interview.