Lieutenant Colonel Barnard Kemter will deliver his speech at an event next week
The 77-year-old s mic was cut off at a Memorial Day event in Ohio when he started to talk about the role freed slaves played in the founding of the holiday
Officials initially defended the action but two organizers have since resigned
Kemter will deliver the speech again at Buckeye Boys State, an annual gathering organized by the American Legion to teach young men about government
The Ohio American Legion has suspended the charter of the Hudson agency, pending its permanent closure
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.
Garrison had served as adjutant of American Legion Lee-Bishop Post 464.
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.