CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- THE Korean War has long been called, bitterly, the Forgotten War. That will not be the case at this year's Veterans Day parade in Charleston.

Organizers of this year's observance will take special note of next year's 60th anniversary of the ceasefire in 1953.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. today on Kanawha Boulevard near Leon Sullivan Way.

The commanding officer of the USS West Virginia will be the grand marshal and featured speaker at the ceremony at Haddad Riverfront Park.

More than 112,000 West Virginians, men and women, served in the war that allowed South Korea to be so different from North Korea today.

Their service changed history for millions of people.

But freedom was not free. West Virginia families lost 801 loved ones, and 2,088 other service members came home wounded.

The Charleston Veterans Day parade will be one of 62 sites across the country honored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such recognition is deserved.

West Virginia does not forget its veterans. Volunteers have kept the parade going for 70 years.

IN Wheeling, voters were asked to repeal an ordinance that requires two police officers in each cruiser. Wheeling is the only city in America with such an ordinance.

The law hampers the city's ability to patrol the streets, said city manager Robert Herron. The city now has a minimum of six officers working per shift, meaning only three cruisers patrolling the streets.

On Tuesday, voters overwhelmingly backed the repeal. The unofficial count was 6,773 to 3,905. If the vote holds, the city will buy three more cruisers to increase patrols.

But the Wheeling Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 38 has sued to stop the repeal -- perhaps not a good idea. Judges are loath to overturn voters' decisions.

It's a shame that council members dumped the decision on voters, who already faced a long ballot in a presidential election year. Wheeling needs council members who will make tough decisions.

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CHARLESTON Town Center Mall re-opened its sparkling new Center Court this week, capping a $7 million renovation of a strong downtown attraction.

Forest City Enterprises has installed new flooring and carpeting on all three levels, added two technology bars, and installed a new fountain. The decor is designed to reflect the state's natural beauty.

This reinvestment reflects strong confidence in Charleston's downtown, which remains a shopping destination.

The mall is part of a complex that includes hotels, the Civic Center and the federal and county courthouses. The mall enhances the city's ability to attract conventions, which help fill the hotels, which in turn helps the mall.

It adds up to a strong package.

This symbiotic relationship began three decades ago, and Forest City's reinvestment shows a willingness to continue that relationship for decades to come.

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THE McDonald's in Follansbee became the center of post-election controversy when its flag flew upside down. After a photo appeared on Facebook, political activists assumed it was a protest against the re-election of President Obama.

Never assume anything.

"Unfortunately, a flag cable broke and during the process of trying the fix the flag, it was inadvertently turned upside down," said McDonalds' franchisee Karen Mezan in an e-mail.

"It wasn't noticed that the flag was upside down until a customer inquired about it. . . . It's important to note that this was an accident, not intentional."

The saying, "A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on," was never more true than in the age of the Internet.