Amazing Race Apology, CBS, under fire from veterans for last week's episode of "The Amazing Race" that featured a segment in Vietnam filmed at the site of a crashed American B-52, opened Sunday's show with an apology.
A billboard read by the program's host, Phil Keoghan, apologized to veterans who served in Vietnam "for being insensitive parts of last week's episode."
Vietnam War veteran and American Legion National Commander James E. Koutz had on Thursday sent a letter to CBS, asking that the network apologize for "its disgraceful slap in the face administered to American war heroes" during a prime-time broadcast of the program, "The Amazing Race" on Sunday, March 17.
In a release, Koutz said, "The show is called 'The Amazing Race,' but I call it 'The Amazing Gall.'"
"In a broadcast reminiscent of Tokyo Rose, reality game show contestants visited a 'B-52 Memorial' in Vietnam, which featured the wreckage of a B-52 bomber shot down during the war. What wasn't shown were the U.S. crewmembers that were killed or the grieving American families that were left behind. The Department of Defense is encouraging Americans to honor and commemorate our Vietnam War veterans for the sacrifice that they made 50 years ago.
A billboard read by the program's host, Phil Keoghan, apologized to veterans who served in Vietnam "for being insensitive parts of last week's episode."
Vietnam War veteran and American Legion National Commander James E. Koutz had on Thursday sent a letter to CBS, asking that the network apologize for "its disgraceful slap in the face administered to American war heroes" during a prime-time broadcast of the program, "The Amazing Race" on Sunday, March 17.
In a release, Koutz said, "The show is called 'The Amazing Race,' but I call it 'The Amazing Gall.'"
"In a broadcast reminiscent of Tokyo Rose, reality game show contestants visited a 'B-52 Memorial' in Vietnam, which featured the wreckage of a B-52 bomber shot down during the war. What wasn't shown were the U.S. crewmembers that were killed or the grieving American families that were left behind. The Department of Defense is encouraging Americans to honor and commemorate our Vietnam War veterans for the sacrifice that they made 50 years ago.
"We only wish that the network that once gave us Kate Smith -- famous for her rendition of 'God Bless America' -- would return to its great roots and not be so eager to broadcast anti-American propaganda," said Koutz.
In the episode, contestants go to a B-52 Memorial, which is the wreckage of an American bomber plane shot down during the Vietnam War, to find the next clue in their televised round-the-world journey.