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The family of a Pittsburgh Vietnam veteran says a newspaper's refusal to include the words "not a murderer" in his obituary without explanation has left them feeling disrespected and compelled to speak out. Photo via Pixabay.

The family of a Pittsburgh Vietnam veteran says a newspaper's refusal to include the words "not a murderer" in his obituary without explanation has left them feeling disrespected and compelled to speak out.

According to WTAE-TV, Heather Vargo said she paid more than $400 for her father's obituary to appear over two days in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, but that the paper failed to include a line that read "not a murderer, not a baby killer, just a Vietnam Vet" when it published the notice.

Another local paper did run the obituary with the line included, a reference to criticism that sometimes met returning Vietnam veterans at the height of the public backlash surrounding the war.

According to WTAE, Vargo said her father, U.S. Air Force veteran David Ryan, was haunted by the criticism and wanted the sentence included in his obituary.

But, she added, the Post Gazette failed to do so, while also failing to explain its reasoning.

"They didn't give a reason. They just said we cannot print this," Vargo said.

"I feel like he's being disrespected and I think that light needs to be shed on that fact."

The Post Gazette's obituary department declined to comment when reached by PennLive on Thursday, as did the Penn Hills funeral home in charge of his burial.

Ryan's funeral service was held there this past Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. He was 69 years old.