The decision to cut-off the mic of retired Lt. Col. Bernard Kemter at a Memorial Day commemoration in Hudson, Ohio when he described an 1865 ceremony in which thousands of former slaves memorialized Union soldiers who died in a Charleston Confederate prison has resulted in the suspension of the charter of the American Legion Post behind the silencing. Kempter was the keynote speaker at the event and he had been warmly received by the local crowd watching the traditional ceremony. However, when he began speaking of the role of African Americans in creating Memorial Day his mic went silent. It was later determined that the local Legion Post’s adjutant Jim Garrison had been involved in the silencing. You can read more about what happened and watch a video of the full event here. [Disclosure: My father was a member of the American Legion.]
According to the Akron Beacon Journal:
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…
“Effective immediately, [American Legion Department of Ohio] Department Commander Roger Friend has suspended [the] 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.”
…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.
Heller said the Hudson post has 60 days to respond to the formal complaint that the state Legion provided to them. She noted the Hudson post has 58 members.
“I don’t believe they will get members to show [for a meeting], much less vote, to keep the post open at this point,” Heller said late Friday afternoon. “We are in communication with the members via email, phone and mail, about the status of their post. So far, no members of Hudson Post 464 have reached out to [the American Legion] Department [of Ohio] to fight for this post, that I am aware of.”
…Both 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. Col Bernard Kemter, US Army (Ret.) during his Memorial Day speech hosted by American Legion Post 464 of Hudson, Ohio.”
Suchan has not resigned, but Heller said her case is being handled by the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio.
Heller said Suchan also is being asked to give up her membership in the auxiliary.
An official with the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio told the Beacon Journal they were meeting Friday to discuss Suchan, but declined further 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.
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