Omission adds to Korean War Vets 'forgotten' status

To The Editor:

I am sorely distressed by a glaring omission from your November 2 issue of the Bonners Ferry Herald. On page 4 was an article concerning the November 11 dedication of the KIA monument in Veterans Memorial park. The article submitted to you had all of the correct information concerning that dedication, including ALL of the wars in which Boundary county citizens had died. Your article neglected to list the Korean war as part of that monument.

Placing the article in the Herald was my responsibitity, and as such, I took great care to see that all of the information concerning the event was included. I would inquire of you sir, how I am to resond to a decorated Korean Veteran who asks me why their guys were not listed in your paper? Perhaps you would be interested in hearing that this individuals generation of warriors has always been considered part of the 'forgotton' war, and mistakes such as made by the Bonners Ferry Herald are a signification to that allusion.

Personally, I take great umbrage with this lack of journalistic professionalism. Common sense would have indicated that if all the other war dead would be included on this monument, so would the Korean war dead.

Are there proof readers employed by Mr. Hagadon for his North Idaho papers? If there are such people in existance, recent letters to the Editor, and my own personal experiences, indicate they are failing in their duties.

Perhaps you feel my complaint is trivial or unfounded. May I say Sir, that when a small town newspaper makes as many mistakes as the Herald does, someone needs to be responsible and make amends. My opinion is that the Bonners Ferry Herald needs to make a front page apology to these men. This was a slap in the face to not only the Korean guys, but the Veterans of this community as a whole. We fought for, amoung many things, freedom of the press. The Bonners Ferry Herald needs to be mindful of the price paid for that freedom and to practice the best journalism possible.

Mike Ashby

Liaison Officer, American Legion Boundary Post 55

Editor's Note: The Herald regrets the omission of Korean War veterans in the original article. The error was due to an editing mistake.