Ken Pickard, it’s very difficult for us to fathom why you displayed such horrendous disrespect toward all the American men and women who have been killed in service for love of their country. These men and women who we honor every year in the Coupeville Memorial Day Parade. It is your right to have and speak your political opinions. We respectfully ask that you please remember those men and women being honored year after year in the parade fought and died so you could have those freedoms.

You were neither a registered parade entry nor part of Coupeville Peace and Reconciliation’s entry. I also know you are a well educated lawyer, however on that Saturday, you showed everyone you haven’t any class at all. Shame on you!

I am writing this letter on behalf of myself, plus the veterans, and active duty personnel who approached or phoned me after the parade, to express their dismay at what you chose to protest and where you chose to do it. Since we all understood that this parade was to honor service members killed in action, not to protest U.S. policies, we hoped that you would have understood that too.

Joyce Claus

Parade coordinator