WESTMINSTER : Unflagging Support for U.S. Troops

Marty Hise cried as she watched the enormous American flag being raised high above the Civic Center at a rally Tuesday in support of troops in the Persian Gulf.

“I was praying. I was praying to God to bring peace and end this war, praying for the soldiers and their families,” said Hise, 43, of Garden Grove, who has a close family friend stationed in the Gulf.

Sitting on the lawn, wearing a red sweat shirt, white bow in her hair and blue jeans, Hise--one of hundreds of people who attended the noon ceremony--said the troops “have to know that we’re supporting them and are behind them. They’re out there doing their part. We have to be here doing our part.”

Children from 10 elementary schools and adults from local service organizations gathered at the Civic Center for the show of support. Most carried flags, and yellow ribbons fluttered on every tree and pole in the courtyard, which displayed scores of signs saying: “Support Our Troops.”

School bands played patriotic songs, and shortly after 1 p.m., firefighters raised a 600-square-foot flag to the top of a 100-foot firetruck snorkel. The flag billowed in the strong breeze while 50 relatives of troops stationed in the Gulf led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Bill Carter, a Westminster fire captain, said the rally was a “refreshing change” from the anti-war protests he saw in the ‘60s. “This gives people a chance to feel good about America again,” he said.

In the crowd, a lone protester, Fountain Valley resident Fred Verschueren, stood silently on the lawn next to City Hall with a placard that read:”Violence is not the answer.”

“I get called ‘traitor’ and ‘unpatriotic.’ This is not a pleasant experience,” said Verschueren, 54, who has a son in the Navy.

“We’re indoctrinating our children that the only solution to the country’s problems is violence,” Verschueren said to Bruce Sievers, a 42-year-old former Green Beret who stopped to criticize Verschueren’s solitary protest.

Sievers responded, “Sometimes violence isn’t the answer, but it’s the lesser of two evils.”

Many hailed the rally as a strong statement of support for the troops that would increase morale both at home and abroad.

“It’s something we should have done a long time ago, in all the wars. The silent majority is not being silent anymore and it’s about time,” said Vietnam veteran Bob Kakuk, 44, of Huntington Beach, who carried a flag to the podium on behalf of Vietnam Veterans Reunited.