The US military has always taken pride in the sombre repatriation ceremonies for the remains of American servicemen killed in Vietnam or during the Second World War.

Cargo planes arriving with flag-draped coffins, an honour guard, crowds of veterans and families weeping for their loved ones have become familiar scenes.

Now it has been revealed that the ceremonies have all been phoney. The remains inside the coffins had arrived weeks earlier and the planes were just parked in a relevant spot, often having to be towed into position because they were unserviceable.

The disclosure has brought an outcry from veterans and embarrassment for the Pentagon, which has admitted that the ceremonies were faked.

Jesse Baker, an 81-year-old US Air Force veteran of the Second World