Show respect for WWII hero

Opinion  

Grant Mahoney Park is a quaint, 1.5-acre park at Mariposa Street at Arkansas Street in Vallejo. It includes a children's play area, open turf, picnic tables, rose garden, and community building.

One small problem. It's "Mahony."

Now, I get that human spellcheck is horribly flawed. But Grant Mahony wasn't just some local dignitary or a resident who forked over cash to get his name on a park.

Far, far from it.

Lt. Col. Grattan "Grant" Mahony was believed to be Vallejo's first WWII hero, winning the Distinguished Service Cross as announced by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Manilla on Dec. 20, 1941.

The citation for "extra-ordinary gallantry in action" in which Mahony "displayed exceptional courage" is second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

It wasn't his last heroic act.

In early 1945, Mahony believed other flyers in his squadron didn't have the experience to strafe a Japanese seaplane in the southern part of Luzon. So he did it himself.

Mahony made the first run and was ambushed. The seaplane was a decoy and Mahony's plane was hit and plunged into the water.

He left a wife and a young son in Astoria, Ore., parents who had moved from Vallejo to Oakland, and, apparently, a city that can't even respect a war hero by spelling his name correctly.

When notified earlier this week, Shane McAfee, director of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District, said it's the first he's heard that the spelling was incorrect.

"GVRD will now begin to review and change the written spelling both electronically and in print," McAfee said.

Well, now you know. And if it's going to take a few bucks to correct, I'm willing to write a check toward the cost.

Veterans' Day is coming up Nov. 11. What better way to make amends by not only installing a sign for Grant MAHONY Park, but perhaps our city officials can retell the story of the fallen WWII at the local ceremony.

And if the GVRD and city can't even get that right, Vallejo's more lost than I thought.

Source:  http://www.timesheraldonline.com/opinion