A disclaimer before I continue, I'm a fan of Hawaii Five-O. Great over the top action-adventure show. So it was doubly disappointing to hear about how the show's crew handled, make that mishandled visiting Pearl Harbor Vets in Hawaii to mark the 70th anniversary of the "Day which will live in infamy."
23 vets, hosted by the Denver-based Greatest Generations Foundation were visiting the Punch Bowl Cemetery. Hawaii Five-Oh was also using the location to shoot scenes for the show. The vets planned a small ceremony and the playing of taps to honor their comrades but the crew from Five-O essentially hustled them out of the cemetery.
Witnessing it all was Steffan Tubbs of 850KOA and a board member of the Greatest Generation Foundation and he's led the charge in making sure amends are made to these vets making likely their last visit to Hawaii due to age.
Compounding the mess was the response from CBS. The network response was the standard PR hoo-hah saying "Any rudeness can be attributed to haste to finish our work."There was more but pretty tepid stuff. When anyone representing your business screws up, it's best to say so and make it right pronto. In most cases you end up with a positive result instead of a negative one.
This all has created quite a controversy. If I were CBS I'd offer to fly everyone of those vets who are able, back to Hawaii along with their immediate family. While none of this was the fault of the cast members themselves, it wouldn't hurt to have them on hand to personally meet these vets. Finally, at the end of the next episode of Five-O cast members should be on screen personally thanking all those who both survived December 7, 1941 or who paid the supreme sacrifice.
What is most surprising is that the show portrays the military in a very favorable light. The character of Steve McGarrett played by Alex O'Laughlin is an ex-Navy Seal.
All that said, CBS can and must do better.
Fix it Danno.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations
23 vets, hosted by the Denver-based Greatest Generations Foundation were visiting the Punch Bowl Cemetery. Hawaii Five-Oh was also using the location to shoot scenes for the show. The vets planned a small ceremony and the playing of taps to honor their comrades but the crew from Five-O essentially hustled them out of the cemetery.
Witnessing it all was Steffan Tubbs of 850KOA and a board member of the Greatest Generation Foundation and he's led the charge in making sure amends are made to these vets making likely their last visit to Hawaii due to age.
Compounding the mess was the response from CBS. The network response was the standard PR hoo-hah saying "Any rudeness can be attributed to haste to finish our work."There was more but pretty tepid stuff. When anyone representing your business screws up, it's best to say so and make it right pronto. In most cases you end up with a positive result instead of a negative one.
This all has created quite a controversy. If I were CBS I'd offer to fly everyone of those vets who are able, back to Hawaii along with their immediate family. While none of this was the fault of the cast members themselves, it wouldn't hurt to have them on hand to personally meet these vets. Finally, at the end of the next episode of Five-O cast members should be on screen personally thanking all those who both survived December 7, 1941 or who paid the supreme sacrifice.
What is most surprising is that the show portrays the military in a very favorable light. The character of Steve McGarrett played by Alex O'Laughlin is an ex-Navy Seal.
All that said, CBS can and must do better.
Fix it Danno.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations
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