Slang Term 'GI' Called Grossly Unsuitable in Reporting Deaths of Military Men and Women


WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was
released today by the Stars and Stripes Foundation:
"GI's may be transferred, promoted, married, decorated for bravery,
court marshaled or discharged. GI's may go AWOL, take leave, win the
lottery, climb mountains or undertake any number of tasks.
"Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Air Women die in combat."

With this opening appeal to publishers, editors, headline writers and
chiefs of all media outlets, the president of the Stars and Stripes
Foundation called on all involved to use more discretion and sensitivity in
reporting the deaths of those serving in uniform.
In talks to veterans in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, Ca., Howard E.
Haugerud, President of the Stars and Stripes Foundation and former owner
and editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, said he was
convinced the practice continued through ignorance and carelessness. "I
very much doubt a single instance was rooted in a desire or intent to
demean the fallen service person."

The veteran of World War II and Korea listed the New York Times, ABC,
the Associated Press, the Boston Herald, CBS, The Palm Springs Desert Sun,
the New York Newsday, the Drudge Report, New York Daily News and AOL as
among the many who should review usage of the term. He added that as recent
as Christmas day of 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported the "deaths of 6
GI's."

"No one of the listed organizations are tiny weeklies, one-watt radio
or TV stations whose mistakes might be overlooked. These are mainstream
communications entities whose readers and listeners number in the millions.

Among those readers and listeners are grieving families of military men and
women killed while serving our country. Surely it is not too much to ask
the announcements of those deaths be devoid of the dismissive and
belittling slang term GI."

After military service, Haugerud served in presidential-appointed posts
at the State and Defense Departments during the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon
administrations. His Marine Corp son, Mark, was wounded in Vietnam and his
grandson, Patrick, recently returned from a tour with the Marines in Iraq.

The speaker reported that his survey produced zero examples of
insensitivity on the part of small town daily and weekly newspapers. In
reporting deaths, the hometown son or daughter was invariably respectfully
identified as a member of his or her military branch together with grade or
rank attained.

"While GI (for government issue) may be a headline space saver and
convenient as a catchall term, it is simply not appropriate when used in
reporting the demise of those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the
service of our nation," Haugerud said.

SOURCE Stars and Stripes Foundation

Ellie