zinccoffin

Zinc is used for military coffins because the metal is resistant to corrosion and relatively lightweight, compared to lead, making it an efficient choice for the inner lining of a transport crate. 

Zinc coffins are hermetically sealed (soldered shut), creating an airtight environment that slows decomposition and, crucially, prevents the release of odors and fluids during long-haul transport by plane, train, or truck.

Because zinc coffins are meant for transport rather than burial, families often have to purchase a traditional wooden casket for the actual funeral service, leading to reports of discarded zinc linings being found in local landfills near military return centers. 

During the Afghan war, thousands of young Soviet soldiers were sent home in zinc coffins, and because their bodies were often in poor condition or had been traveling for weeks, the coffins were delivered soldered shut, and families were often forbidden from opening them. This gave rise to the term "Zinky Boys," popularized by Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich’s book of the same name.

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