Monaghan was a hero

With Veterans Day upon us, it is a good time to salute local military heroes, starting with Ensign John Monaghan. In 1899 he was killed during a hard-fought battle with Samoan rebels. When his body was recovered, it was found brutally beheaded. Monaghan had gone to the aid of a fellow Navy officer and did this in the face of almost certain death. We should be proud that this person came from Spokane.

But a group of radical activists is slandering his good name to further their own political agendas (“Dozens call for city to remove monument of Monaghan,” Oct. 17). They say he personally committed genocide and was “one of the leaders who orchestrated a military plot to invade and colonize the South Pacific Islands.” These assertions are completely false. First, no acts of genocide happened during the Second Samoan Civil War. Second, anyone who served in the military knows that low-ranking officers have zero influence on American foreign policy or how a war will be fought. This is left to presidents and admirals.

The activists do have one legitimate complaint. One of the plaques on his statue downtown contains a single word that many now consider a racial slur. This could be easily corrected by changing the plaque. There is absolutely no need to remove his statue.

The activists are trying to hold Monaghan responsible for every action, real and imagined, that occurred in 1899 that offends them for whatever reason. Their attempt to demonize him is just like what happened in the 1960s to our Vietnam veterans. Let’s not allow history to repeat itself. Please tell the folks in City Hall that you oppose removing his statue.

Hazel Hoeft

Spokane