When pressed, she would not say who specifically did it. Suchan previously said it was either her or Garrison who turned down the audio at Monday's Memorial Day ceremony as Kemter spoke. Garrison and Suchan could not be reached Friday for comment. Garrison and Suchan also are being asked to make a "formal apology" to the city of Hudson, all American Legion organizations, its members, veterans and people of all backgrounds, Heller said. Heller said Suchan also is being asked to give up her membership in the auxiliary.Īn official with the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio told the Beacon Journal they were meeting Friday to discuss Suchan, but declined further comment. Suchan has not resigned, but Heller said her case is being handled by the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio. Col Bernard Kemter, US Army (Ret.) during his Memorial Day speech hosted by American Legion Post 464 of Hudson, Ohio." Reaction: Decision to cut veteran's mic during Hudson Memorial Day talk prompts national outcryīoth Garrison and Cindy Suchan, who chairs the Memorial Day Parade committee and is president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, had been asked by Friend to resign after the state office's investigation determined the two "intentionally censored Lt. The Hudson post property will be secured by the state "within the next seven days," Heller said. She noted the Hudson members also are welcome to join a different post if they wish. She noted the Hudson post has 58 members.Īfter the Hudson post is given a chance to respond, the American Legion Department of Ohio will retrieve all possessions of the post and move its members to Streetsboro's American Legion Post 685, Heller said.
Heller said the Hudson post has 60 days to respond to the formal complaint that the state Legion provided to them. What did he say: Read a draft of speech by veteran silenced at Hudson Memorial Day service The American Legion Department of Ohio's executive board members who attended a Friday morning meeting unanimously backed Friend's decision to suspend the Hudson American Legion charter, said Suzette Heller, the state Legion's department adjutant. Garrison had served as adjutant of American Legion Lee-Bishop Post 464. "Effective immediately, Department Commander Roger Friend has suspended Hudson Lee-Bishop American Legion Post 464 Charter pending permanent closure," stated a news release issued by the American Legion Department of Ohio Friday afternoon. "Upon demand, Jim Garrison has also resigned as a Post Officer and we have since demanded that he resign his membership altogether. The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring (Black) history is acceptable behavior." More: Veteran's mic cut when he speaks of Black people's role in Memorial Day creation Bernard Kemter's microphone during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hudson. The actions come four days after the leader of the Hudson Legion and head of the Legion's auxiliary were involved with cutting retired Army Lt. Kemter, who spent 30 years in the Army and served in the Persian Gulf War, told The Beacon Journal he was disappointed that the organizers silenced two minutes of his 11-minute speech.The charter of Hudson's American Legion post was suspended as its leader resigned Friday after a veteran's mic got cut while he spoke about Black Americans' role in the history of Memorial Day.
Kemter said he didn’t see the suggested changes in time to rewrite the speech. In the days before the ceremony, Suchan said she reviewed the speech and asked Kemter to remove certain portions. “They knew exactly when to turn the volume down and when to turn it back up,” Friend said. He said the censoring was premeditated and planned by Garrison and Suchan. “The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring black history is acceptable behavior,” Friend said in a statement. Garrison has since been asked to drop his membership altogether, Friend said. Garrison resigned his leadership position a day after the state organization demanded he step down, said Roger Friend, department commander for the Ohio American Legion. Cindy Suchan, chair of the Memorial Day parade committee and president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, said this week that either she or Jim Garrison, adjutant of the American Legion Post 464, turned down the audio, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.
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