He’s seen shoppers avoid VFW members collecting donations, sports fans leave their hats on during the national anthem and only a select few stand to salute the American flag in parades.
Vietnam veteran Mike Pierson raises his hand in salute. Pierson feels that Americans should be more openly supportive of veterans.
With a father and four uncles who served in World War II and another uncle who was a World War I veteran, the Fourth of July has long been an important day for Mike Pierson.
“Patriotism is something that runs very deep in my family,” the Indio man said.
But the commander of Indio’s VFW Bill Huntington Post 3699 once found himself focusing more on his family and career.
“For probably 15 years after I was out of the military, Fourth of July was just another day to have off, as was Memorial Day,” said Pierson, 65.
It didn’t help that as a Vietnam veteran, he was part of a group that many attacked.
Those fighting this century’s wars are given more respect, but they’re a smaller segment of a population that often doesn’t share their patriotism, he said.
“They appreciate what the Fourth of July stands for, what our flag stands for, but sadly a lot of people no longer show outwardly that they have that same degree of appreciation,” Pierson said.
He’s seen shoppers avoid VFW members collecting donations, sports fans leave their hats on during the national anthem and only a select few stand to salute the American flag in parades.
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