An ISU alumnus and Vietnam War veteran wants some names sandblasted off the walls in Gold Star Hall because they did not die while in combat in Vietnam.

Jim Olberding claims the Memorial Union is “not being true to history” by leaving the names on the wall, and that it is a “slap in the face.”

“What you are doing is you are desecrating the names of people who actually died there,” he said.

Frankly, it’s a slap in the face to those men and women whose names he wants to remove from the wall. They devoted their time and their lives to their country, and the criteria used by the Alumni Association to determine whose names will go on the wall should not be changed.

Kathy Svec, program coordinator for the Memorial Union, said the names on the wall include alumni who were killed in Vietnam, alumni reported missing in action in Vietnam, alumni killed during the Vietnam War but not in Vietnam at the time of their death and alumni killed during Vietnam stationed in places other than Vietnam. The same criteria is used for World War II and the Korean War, while different requirements were used for World War I, she said.

Olberding claims that through his research on the names on the wall, he discovered that several men died in airplane crashes nowhere near Vietnam while another man died while rappelling off a mountain in Turkey. He said there are also names from the Korean War that don’t belong. Olberding said the Memorial Union should use the same criteria that is used for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Removing the names wouldn’t do any good, except to create hostility among the families of those who died while in the service and attending the university. Olberding’s claims came out of nowhere and shouldn’t be taken up for consideration. Thankfully, Memorial Union administration believes the same thing.

“At this point, I think to remove a name is a desecration,” said Roger Ferris, program manager of the Memorial Union. Svec also said there are no plans as of yet to remove names.

In times such as these where many of our friends and family are serving in our armed forces in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq, it seems improper and unreasonable to disrespect those who give their lives to defend our country. It seems silly that Olberding should be concerned with issues such as these, and he should be more respectful of his fellow servicemen.

The names on the wall are there for a reason: to honor and to respect. In September, more names will be added to the Vietnam War and World War II sections based on research by the Alumni Association. We should continue to keep adding names, in remembrance of our fellow ISU students.

Editorial Board: Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Ayrel Clark, Charlie Weaver, Katie List