Joan Carlson's letter to the editor (Aug. 21) concerning flags flown at half-staff being overdone was missing a very important piece of information. The funeral in Pocatello she referred to was, indeed, for a popular local high school football player, but apparently she was not told this same young man had just given his life in service to our country in Baqouba, Iraq.
Sgt. Nick Gummersall, my niece's son, was a member of the elite Army Rangers in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq when a building he entered exploded, killing him and three other soldiers. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter not only attended his funeral but also spoke. These flags were flown at half-staff to honor a fallen soldier. They were not overdone.
Ann V. Borneman
Farmington