WASHINGTON — The Army said Wednesday that 7,000 family members of soldiers killed in the Iraq or Afghan wars mistakenly were sent letters addressing them as "John Doe."
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. was sending a personal letter to all the families that received the improperly addressed letters as a result of a printing error, the Army said.
The 7,000 original letters were sent late last month to inform survivors about private organizations that offer gifts, programs and other assistance to families that have lost soldiers in Iraq or other countries where they are deployed for the war on terrorism.
It was sent from the U.S. Army Human Resources Command's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Center in Alexandria, Va., which issued a formal apology Wednesday.
The letters, which were printed by a contractor, were to have been automatically addressed with the actual names and addresses of survivors, said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman.
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Instead, the letters contained the place-holder greeting — "Dear John Doe."
"It's our fault for not catching it," Boyce said. "We are certainly sorry."
Casey's personal note to the families alluded to the fact that he lost his own father in Vietnam, and Casey's note also said the Army is extremely sensitive to family grief.
An apology also was being posted on the human resources Web site, Boyce said.
"There are no words to adequately apologize for this mistake or for the hurt it may have caused," Brig. Gen. Reuben D. Jones, the Army adjutant general, said.
Boyce said all the other information in the letter regarding the assistance organizations was correct.
"It is important the original intent of the letter is not lost," Jones' statement said. "The organizations mentioned are dedicated to honoring loved ones and recognizing their sacrifice and commitment."
