Army apologizes for hurtful message to survivors

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Army apologizes for hurtful message to survivors
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
8 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Army said Wednesday that 7,000 family members of soldiers killed in the Iraq or Afghan wars mistakenly were sent letters addressing them as "John Doe."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., was sending a personal letter to all the families who received the improperly addressed letters as the result of a printing error, the Army said.

The 7,000 original letters were sent late last month to inform survivors about private organizations that offer gifts, programs and other assistance to families that have lost soldiers in Iraq or other countries where they are deployed for the war on terrorism.

It was sent from the U.S. Army Human Resources Command's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Center in Alexandria, Va., which issued a formal apology Wednesday.

The letters, which were printed by a contractor, were to have been automatically addressed with the specific names and addresses of survivors, said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman. Instead, they contained the placeholder greeting — "Dear John Doe."

(my emphasis)

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/a...

[nc4bo]

1. Oh my damn. No words, no surprises. Such a slap in the face to the brave men and women

who died and to the loved ones they leave behind.

The apology is clearly unacceptable.

BTW, WHY is the Army outsourcing these types of things? What is the name of this contractor?

[Gwendolyn]

5. Probably a direct mailer.

They get provided all the names and lettershop the material. John Doe or Mr. Sample is often used as the "fill-in" portion of the material on the original artwork, replaced with the individual's name during the personalization process. They're probably in big doodoo.

[nc4bo]

7. Such a shame. I'd have thought that the Army would handle sensitive

materials like this, you know? They handed off the job to some outside company like these letters were recruitment pamphlets.

This company printed them up and sent them off without any body noticing that John Doe was on 4,000 letters and was probably paid very handsomely for their work.

Sad.

[rfranklin]

8. Privatization and autmation are wonderful things...

In previous wars there were no computers, so actual typists had to type the letters. It would be hard to make this mistake 4,000 times that way. But now you can automate your mistakes exponentially.

[Gwendolyn]

9. i know. What's a soldier worth once s/he's dead?

It would've taken time and resources to do it themselves, days maybe, so they farmed it out. The company could do 7000 letters in a few hours.

And yes, my God, some dufus didn''t check the material before it went out. It happens sometimes, but there's a difference when it's a catalog versus something like this. Must be a heartbreak all over again. And now, the army has to send out personal letters 7000 times anyway.

[gratuitous]

2. What mistake?

Dead soldiers are just one of the costs of doing business for the High Church. You should just as well apologize to a forest for culling some trees to pulp into paper. They're all just "John Doe" to the commander in chief. Yeah, maybe that's a big shock to the families, friends and other survivors, but welcome to reality. The only "mistake" that could possibly be asserted was the mistake in letting too much slip in this one instance.

[DrDan]

4. now now - I heard pickles a week or so back

discuss how much concern junior had for the "fallen soldiers" - and how he shed so many tears over the past years over their contributions.

[Bonobo]

3. John Doe says thanks.

[tabasco]

6. Rumsfeld said troops were fungibles.

No need to worry about names.

They're just easily replaced bodies to the neocons.

[Nihil]

39. Or, as so aptly sung in 1973 ...

"Rejoice! glory is ours!
Our young men have not died in vain,
Their graves need no flowers
The tapes have recorded their names."

(Emerson, Lake & Palmer)

[Turbineguy]

10. That's Hedley Lamarr!

[Robbien]

11. How does one adequately apologize for calling one's dead son/daughter a john doe?

"There are no words to adequately apologize for this mistake or for the hurt it may have caused," Brig. Gen. Reuben D. Jones, the Army adjutant general, said in the statement to be posted.

Boyce said all the other information in the letter regarding the assistance organizations was correct.

"It is important the original intent of the letter is not lost," Jones' statement said. "The organizations mentioned are dedicated to honoring loved ones and recognizing their sacrifice and commitment."

MAY HAVE CAUSED?

Using measly words such as may have caused is certainly not the appropriate way to apologize.

[Bigmack]

12. Remember the old joke...

about how sensitive the military is....

The Gunny has to break the news to Pfc. Jones that is mother has died, so he lines all the Marines up in formation and says "All of you that have a living mother take one step forward... Not So Fast, Jones."

Next we'll have....

"Dear Sir or Madam,
We regret to inform you that your son/daughter was killed/maimed in Iraq/Afghanistan/somewhere else.
His/her remains will be sent back to the US in a casket/shoebox/gladbag at our earliest opportunity.
Sincerely...

(sign the Colonel's name here)

I remember a little ditty we made up years ago in a much earlier war about informing the next of kin. Some of the lyrics were: "Tough shit, mom, you're kid got greased, but what the fuck... he was only a grunt."

[TrogL]

13. Reminds me of "Our Sargent Major"

...a song about a paratrooper whose chute doesn't open (among other things) to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

One of the lines is "they put him in a matchbox and they sent him back to ma".

[hardtravelin]

22. We called it "Blood Upon the Risers"

Blood Upon The Risers

(Sung to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic)

He was just a cherry trooper and he surely shook with fright
as he checked all his equipment and made sure his pack was tight
He had to sit and listen to the awful engines roar,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

"Is everybody happy?" cried the Sergeant, looking up.
Our hero feebly answered "yes," and then they stood him up.
He leaped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock;
He felt the wind, he felt the clouds, he felt the awful drop;
He jerked his cord, the silk spilled out and wrapped around his legs.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome;
The lines were snarled and tied in knots, around his skinny bones;
The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

The days he’d lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind;
He thought about the girl back home, the one he’d left behind;
He thought about the medics and wondered what they’ed find.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild;
The medics jumped and screamed with glee, they rolled their sleeves and smiled;
For it had been a week or more since last a chute had failed.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

He hit the ground, the sound was splat, his blood went spurting high;
His comrades were then heard to say, "A helluve way to die";
He lay there rolling ‘round in the welter of his gore.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute;
Intestines were a-dangling from this paratrooper’s boots;
They picked him up, still in his chute and poured him from his boots.
He ain’t gonna jump no more.

CHORUS:
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain’t gonna jump no more

[DogPoundPup]

14. Army apologizes for "Dear John Doe" letters

Source: Yahoo / Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Army apologized on Wednesday for sending 7,000 letters addressed to "Dear John Doe" to the relatives of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The letters, printed by a contractor and mailed in December, were intended to inform family members about private organizations that offer assistance to those who have lost relatives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Army said the letters should have contained specific salutations and addresses, instead of the anonymous greeting. It blamed a printing error for the mix-up.

"The U.S. Army is apologizing," the armed service said in a statement.

Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, will send a personal letter to each person who received improperly addressed correspondence, the Army said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090107/us_nm/us_usa_army_1

[Boomerang Diddle]

15. But isn't that how the Army looks at soldiers

simply as John Does who are expendable?

[jimshoes]

16. Fungible, if you listen

to Donny Rumsfeld. He just loved those troops, you know. (Gag)

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Freudian slip?

[truthisfreedom]

18. Tragic, probably avoidable, and you can be sure that the responsible people are hurting.

No doubt everyone in the military would take this kind of thing seriously. This situation is its own punishment.

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

19. We can't even send our own letters of condolences? WTF

A further slap in the face of our troops and their families.

[Gwendolyn]

20. They weren't letters of condolence. That would be even worse.

It was info on how they could apply for assistance and other programs.

[MadMaddie]

21. Again the Contractors aren't working so well for the Military

[M155Y_A1CH]

23. SNAFU or FUBAR? / nt

[Judi Lynn]

24. Army Sends 'Dear John Doe' Letters to Families of Fallen Troops

Army Sends 'Dear John Doe' Letters to Families of Fallen Troops
By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 8, 2009; Page A05

The Army mistakenly sent letters addressed "Dear John Doe" to 7,000 family members of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, unleashing calls from troubled relatives and prompting a formal apology yesterday from the Army's top general.

"The indication that anyone would perceive that a hero is not significant, that they would not direct this personally to them, is shattering," said Merrilee Carlson, whose son, Sgt. Michael Carlson, died in Baqubah, Iraq, on Jan. 24, 2005. "While it's a simple mistake, it's a very tragic mistake," said Carlson, who learned of the letter from other families and expected to receive one yesterday.

The letters, mailed late last month by the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center in Alexandria, contained information about private organizations that assist families of the fallen. But in what the Army called a printing error by a contractor, the letters did not contain specific names and addresses; instead, they had the placeholder greeting "Dear John Doe."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. is sending a personal apology letter to the 7,000 family members, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said yesterday. "Obviously, this is insensitive, and we wanted to apologize," said Boyce, adding that the Army became aware of what he called the "glitch" when several families began contacting the service in recent days.

"There are no words to adequately apologize for this mistake or for the hurt it may have caused," Brig. Gen. Reuben D. Jones, the Army adjutant general, wrote yesterday in a statement.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[Judi Lynn]

25. Kicking my thread back to the top.

[Bunny]

26. Is the death toll up to 7,000?

When did that happen?

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whopis01]

28. Army sorry for 'John Doe' letters to relatives of war dead

Source: CNN

The U.S. Army is apologizing to thousands of Army families who received letters beginning "Dear John Doe" after losing a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Some 7,000 letters were sent in late December to notify families of services or gifts surviving family members can receive from nonprofit organizations that help families of fallen soldiers, according to an Army statement Wednesday.

The letters also had improper address information at the top of the correspondence. Instead of the receiving family's name and home address, the letters said "Army Long Term Case Management."

The letters were printed by a contracting company and sent by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The center issued a formal apology Wednesday, according to the statement.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/07/john.doe.letters/index...

---

Nice of them to apologize.

[BlueJazz]

29. "When you care enough to send the very worst"

[chollybocker]

30. Ho hum. Another Army snafu. At least no one died this time.

[calimary]

38. EVERY recipient of one of those abominable letters dies a little inside, all over again.

How Fucking DARE they be SO negligent and callous and uncaring?

There's just NO excuse for that, whatsoever. With the money we've poured into the military all these years while everything else goes begging, there's just NO DAMNED EXCUSE.

Whoever was supposed to be in charge of that and allowed that to happen should be sent straight to the front - and let someone on a second or third (or worse) deployment go home.

[Doc_Technical]

31. A past posting that covers this situation.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[WhiteTara]

32. outsourcing and contractors

equals no oversight and no control. I hope the government will end the contractor shit and take care of their responsibilites.

[Historic NY]

34. they have absolutely no control over the asylum.

[WhiteTara]

36. cause they said

go in and loot it up, kids! Have fun and who cares if you get caught; we've got pardons!

[Doremus]

33. So the DofD doesn't have one literate person who can compose and print a proper letter?

We have to farm out the writing and printing of letters to contractors?????

WTF?

Good gods.

[LiberalHeart]

35. Do the 7,000 letters represent one per fallen soldier...

If so, I didn't know the number was that high.

[bdab1973]

40. No

The letters were mailed to family members. Some of the dead have split homes, etc, so more than one mailer was sent out for some of the families. FYI, the letter was to inform families about other resources outside the US government. Good intentions, just poorly executed. That and the Army apologized before anyone received them (it was discovered shortly after they were mailed). The Chief of Staff of the US Army is sending a personally signed letter of apology, which is appropriate.

[struggle4progress]

37. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...