To the editor:
Hats off to the Vietnam veterans who walked out of the Steubenville City Council meeting of April 4 after being disrespected by two members of council who choose to not participate in the pledge to our flag. Those men are heroes. The councilwoman said that it was not meant as a slap in the face -- it was worse. You might as well have just gone over and spit on them.
Vietnam was a horrible war. Our young men and women marched into battle with our flag above them. Those men at the meeting, by the grace of God, made it home. Many more came home, day after day, to the Dover, Del., Air Base with our beautiful flag draped over their coffin, and you dishonor our flag, our veterans and our country.
When our soldiers returned home 50 years ago, they were met by protesters, they were spit on and verbally attacked, called names and shunned even in their hometown. It took 44 years, until 2017, before we designated March 29 as National Vietnam Veterans Day. That was the day the last troops were pulled out of Vietnam.
Then, in 2023, they are invited to a Steubenville City Council meeting to be honored, only to be ignored and insulted by two who chose not to recognize the pledge -- shame on you.
Of course, you have the right to protest. It's ironic, because you only have that right because of those veterans who were at your meeting and the millions who served before them who fought and died to protect our freedom.
God bless America.
Jerry Boyd
Wintersville