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Politics was not an issue for the military support groups and others who took to the streets to boost the men and women fighting abroad.
By JORGE SANCHEZ
Published September 19, 2005
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[Times photo: Stephen J. Coddington]
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John Pollock, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7991 in Dunnellon, came out with dozens of people for a rally to show support for the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A crowd of almost 100, mostly made up of military support groups, lined the intersection of Main Street and Apopka Avenue on Sunday in Inverness.
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INVERNESS - Members of military support groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars held a rally to support the troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If the nearly constant horn blowing from hundreds of cars passing by the Main Street and Apopka Avenue intersection was any indication, many people shared their views.
"We're here to show support for the soldiers, in a nonbiased way," said John Stewart, 59, senior vice commander of VFW Post 4252 in Inverness.
Stewart said Citrus County VFWs and other military support groups help the troops in many ways such as sending telephone calling cards with prepaid minutes, arranging for families without computers to e-mail troops, and sending clothing and food.
About 100 people lined both sides of the Main Street and Apopka Avenue intersection, waving American flags and displaying banners in support of the troops. Many wore either military or VFW color guard uniforms.
Stewart, who said he is a veteran of the Vietnam War, recalled his welcome back.
"When I got back, coming through Los Angeles International, people were calling me a baby killer and spitting on me," Stewart said. "I said "I'm not going to have my son go through that."'
Stewart's son, Kelly Stewart, 32, is a Green Beret serving in Iraq, his father said.
"When he came back in July, there were all the headlines from Crawford, Texas, from that woman Cindy Sheehan, and that's what he saw.
"I think what she's doing is humiliating her son's memory. If you have a protest, you don't stand out in the street corner and speak out. You write a letter to your congressman," Stewart said.
Among the people showing their support for the troops were Jay Parker, 57, and his wife, Becky Parker, 59, of Hernando. Jay Parker is a member of the VFW 4250 in Hernando and said he was a Vietnam veteran.
Wearing a black T-shirt that read "Bikers for Bush", Parker said he was there mainly to show support for the troops, but also to show his support for President Bush and for the war in Iraq.
"We have to make sure the soldiers have what they need," Parker said. "But also, there are people here every weekend protesting against the president and against the war, and I feel it's important for those who don't feel the same way to show their support."
Although there were no antiwar protesters at the rally, the organizer of Saturday's planned peace demonstration said people should support the troops, whether they agree with the war or not.
"The troops aren't waging the war; they're following their orders from a higher command," said Denise Ball of Floral City. She is helping organize the Nature Coast Coalition's peace demonstration. She did not attend the troop support rally.
The Nature Coast Coalition's demonstration is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday on the lawn of the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum in Inverness. The Saturday protest is planned to coincide with a peace demonstration in Washington, D.C.
--Jorge Sanchez can be reached at 860-7313 or e-mail at sanchez@sptimes.com
[Last modified September 19, 2005, 01:08:18]
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