Correcting the Record

Dear Mr. Publisher:

This is a clarification letter with regard to the Veteran’s booklet, inside cover, honoring James Minshall. This in no way indicates that your paper did something wrong, but the last part of the article referring to my Mother, Violet Minshall is incorrect.

I am Constance Minshall Bules, sister to James. I was born in 1944 and while I do not know the whole story, I know without doubt that my loving and unselfish Mother would not have shut the door in James face at his return home.

Our Mother, Violet, always taught us, with great authority, to honor our flag and our country. She had been DAV Commander; highly active in VFW Auxiliary, active in politics and her community. She and a friend assisted then Governor Exon at the Golden Link ceremony when the two parts of Interstate 80 was linked. Her brother was a WWI Veteran and received the Purple Heart. Other of her relatives fought in the Revolutionary War; War of 1812; Civil War, Spanish American War with a later list of our family serving honorably, including James son, Steven.

While I’m sure Mr. Nelson meant no harm in repeating my brother’s “story,” he was evidently unaware that as my brother aged, he became somewhat aggressive to family members and quite different from the loving, caring brother that I had experienced in past times which included some false statements that caused emotional hurt in his family. Perhaps future stories can honor the Veteran with only the facts about their service.

We do mourn his passing; but, hopefully once and for all, this can be put to rest with a reminder to all of us to be careful not to hurt and demean our families; and, remember the good and with God’s grace, forget the bad.

I do thank Larry Nelson for what he has done to honor my brother in repeating only what he was told by my brother. We also thank Larry for his service to our nation.

Thank you also, Mr. Hershberger, for honoring our Veterans with the beautiful booklet of memories of those who served so unselfishly to keep our USA free.

Constance Bules

Sidney