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Vietnam Vets: Fix Memorial's Misspelled Name

Their ally wasn't called 'Shephen'

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 3, 2012 2:10 PM CST

(Newser) – A pair of Vietnam veterans have a problem with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington: It lists their ally, Stephen Hiett Phillips, as "Shephen." "One doesn't honor a person by misspelling their name," says one member of Phillips' regiment. The mistake appears to be the result of a misspelling on a 1967 list of casualties, the News-Leader reports. But the veterans' efforts to contact officials about the error have resulted in "total, absolute frustration."

"Most the time, I do not even get the courtesy of a return call or message," says Pete Neumann, a member of Phillips' regiment. He says perhaps they can't fix a mistake that's set in stone, but he'd at least like the error corrected on an official online listing known as "The Virtual Wall." Fortunately, on Phillips' gravestone, his name is spelled right, notes USA Today.

Christmas wreaths adorn the Vietnam Veterans Memorial December 19 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

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Vietnam Vets: Fix Memorial's Misspelled Name

Their ally wasn't called 'Shephen'

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