Rallies for troops planned
The American Legion’s 25th district will hold rallies Saturday in both Greene and Washington counties in support of American troops fighting in Iraq. Tom Shumaker, commander of the Legion district, said the rallies will be held first at 11 a.m. on the steps of the Greene County Courthouse and then at 2 p.m. on the steps of the Washington County Courthouse.
Many dignitaries and veterans’ organizations have been invited to attend, and several will speak, Shumaker said. He said rallies in support of the troops are important during this time of war.
“Veterans have been there. They know what it is like to be away from home and out of the country, but knowing you had family, friends and neighbors supporting you kept you going,” Shumaker said. “We need to let the families of the people overseas know that we support our president and we support our troops.”
Shumaker, whose district has almost 9,200 members and encompasses both counties, said Purple Heart recipients, members of several Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and other veterans’ groups will be on hand Saturday at both rallies.
He said the rally is not pro-war but pro-America and pro-troops, and he said it is important for Americans to stand behind the hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere.
“Either you are for us or against us,” he said. “We want to tell the public we support our president, who is commander in chief, we support our troops and we hope every effort is made to get this war over with and bring them home safely.”