I received this from Dave Odom (first week in March) and have been passing it on after sending an email to BASSA:

Subject: Theft of an Icon

Marines:

I wanted to call your attention to this issue.

It seems that our beloved Marine icon of the Iwo Jima flag raising has been copied by an unrelated organization known as "BASSA" - the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association.

I find their use of our Icon inappropriate, in poor taste and as a sign of disrespect to our Corps and all of the Marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice at Iwo Jima.

You can see what they have come up with here.

There is a comments section on the BASSA website.

If you likewise find this use of our Marine Corps icon unacceptable, and if you should choose to send a comment to this organization, I would remind you that we are Marines and must set a higher standard. Please ensure that any comments you send are professional and courteous and on a level above the line of thought that would willingly disrespect something as important as the Iwo Jima icon.

Semper Fi

Gregory Hunt
Commandant
Marine Corps League
Smoky Mountain Detachment #973
(828) 342-2024

Let these people know what you think about their theft of a Marine Corps icon.

(A few days later after what we hope was a deluge of emails from Marines everywhere, seems as if they're genuinely responding (in this case, to Ted Dudley's email) to the correspondence...)

Dear S/Sgt Dudley,
Thank you for your email regarding the BASSA poster. You may be assured we have had many similar ones, although not all of them as polite as your own. I have forwarded many of them to the senior members of BASSA and I am hopeful that the offending picture will soon be changed.

May I just take this opportunity to apologise sincerely for any distress caused to you and colleagues. Everybody recognises that the free world today owes an enormous debt to all those who fought and died in the last great war and especially to those who fought in the great battle at Iwo Jima.

My apologies again.
Yours sincerely
Penelope White
BASSA

From: Ted Dudley [mailto:.......]
Sent: 10 March 2010 15:19
To: Office@bassa.co.uk
Subject: Iwo Jima Memorial

"Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue." Can you say the same about your union members?
As a U.S. Marine who served in the Pacific, I take great offence to your use of “OUR” Marine Corps memorial in your logo, or what ever you want to call it.
While the Marine Corps was also active in the salvation of your home land during WWII, our greatest combat achievements against those who wanted to destroy our, and your, way of life was in the Pacific Theater. Every U.S. Marine, both retired and active, is proud of our heritage, our combat history, our unique Brotherhood and our commitment to freedom throughout the world.
“The Allied forces suffered 26,038 casualties, with 6,821 killed in action. The number of American casualties was greater than the total Allied casualties on D-Day”. For the first, and last time, in Marine Corps history, we lost more men than the enemy during the battle of Iwo Jima, and “Our” memorial is “Sacred” to all of us.
I ask that you replace the image in your logo with a more appropriated symbol that expresses your pride without denigrating those who fought and died for your freedom on that terrible black sand island in the Pacific.

Sincerely,
S/Sgt T.B. Dudley U.S.M.C.

A well-written email by Ted. It seems to hit a chord across the Pond. Thanks to all who wrote and here's hoping for a quick change to the logo of BASSA.

Semper Fidelis, Steve Tepper