A ceremony organizer turned off the mic Monday when the event s keynote speaker, retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter, began sharing a story about freed Black slaves honoring deceased soldiers shortly after the end of the Civil War.
Hudson American Legion Auxiliary President Cindy Suchan, who chairs the Memorial Day parade committee, told the Beacon Journal Kemter s mic was turned down because it “was not relevant to our program for the day, and added the “theme of the day was honoring Hudson veterans.”
The American Legion Department of Ohio said in a tweet directed to a Beacon Journal reporter that it is investigating the incident: We are aware of the incident written by you and published in the Akron Beacon Journal. This matter and the facts are under full investigation by our organization. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.