HIRAM I. BEARSS DETACHMENT #89 MARINE CORPS LEAGUE

P.O. BOX 2351 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46206-2351

16 February 2009 DIRECTOR OF INDIANAPOLIS VA HOSPITAL APOLIGISES TO JAPANESE EMPLOYEE AND ORDERS HISTORICAL NEWPAPER IN HALLWAY REMOVED THAT HAS A HEADLINE READING JAPS SURRENDER. In an unprecedented single-minded decision Thomas Mattice, Director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West 10th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana has taken it upon himself without consulting his superiors to remove a framed World War II historical newspaper front page whose headline declare the end of that horrendous conflict. The newspaper sub-headline reads. JAPS SURRENDER. What happened to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press? Individual veterans, various veterans organizations, especially the Marine Corps League that still has members that fought the Japanese in WW II and remembers that country’s barbarous action to any Allied POW and civilian populations, are all in an uproar over the political correctness of Hospital director Thomas Mattice after a complaint of one new employee of Japanese decent. When Don Myers, Indiana’s Most Decorated Marine attempted to talk to Director Mattice, Myers said the man’s mindset was blocked with political correctness blinders because of this one employee. The director did say that his action was taken for all his employees and that many of them probably felt the same way as the unnamed Asian decent person who started the situation. A consensus of the employees Myers talked to denied that statement. It is also noted that various Veterans Service Officers stationed at the hospital are the ones that complained to Myers, a veteran’s advocate, after various disgruntled VA employees told the Service Officers they were angry over the director’s decision. Myers pointed out that at one time the VA 10th Street hospital had two doctors that were on the Bataan Death March and he wondered if their feelings would have been hurt by the director’s decision. Myers also asked if the newspaper headline read JAPS BOMB PEARL HARBOR would the director have taken that down also. Director Matice said he had nothing else to say to Myers and hung up on him. People who think this Federal Employee paid by American tax dollars had the right to

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do this may ignore this outreach letter. All other Americans feel free to join our outrage by writing letters or calling your representatives, flood the VA Medical Center Directors Office with mail (1481 W. 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204), write to the editors of your newspapers, call your radio stations and TV stations to voice your opinion about “political correctness. You may also voice your opinion to the Indianapolis Marine Corps League Newsletter Editor Marine Gary Nasby at Gnasby@IndyMarines.org Why is it that we as a society allow so few people to dictate our policies? In God We Trust. Semper Fidelis, Ronald W. Albright RONALD W. ALBRIGHT Commandant Hiram I. Bearss Detachment Marine Corps League