This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As an Air Force veteran, I have a request for all the veterans who have been in the news lately at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. First, don't allow yourselves and your service to be co-opted by the tea party. This is the same group that is urging changes to active-duty benefits and health care, retirement benefits and health care, and cutbacks to "big government," which happens to include the military. They are not your friends.
Most have not served and are using you as puppets for sound bites.
Second, when you are at the memorial, do not yell and belittle the park rangers and police who are doing their jobs. When the tea party wanted to close the government these employees were just given their orders and should not be derided for doing so. When you were in Iraq or Vietnam, you saluted and did your job proudly and professionally. Please allow the police, park rangers and other federal employees to do theirs.
Robert Kelleher
West Valley City