Locals show their support for war effort
The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune
Saturday March 22, 2003
By Stephanie Doster
Kenner bureau
Wearing red, white and blue and waving the Stars and Stripes in all sizes, hundreds of area residents turned out in Kenner on Friday to show support for President Bush and American troops.
“With our nation at war, it’s particularly important that we do something like this to honor them,” said Metairie resident Margaret Baird, who organized the event, Rally for America, at the Veterans Century of Sentries Park.
Bethany Wangler of Gretna and her 2-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, helped kick off the event by leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Wangler’s husband, Paul, 30, a Marine Corps warrant officer, is serving in Kuwait, about 80 miles from the Iraqi border, she said, and she’s scared.
“It’s time we did something. The hardest thing is every night (Elizabeth) asks where Daddy is. Daddy’s a hero,” said Wangler, who was sporting a sequined American flag hat. “Support our troops. They’ll be coming home.”
Some said much has been made of antiwar demonstrations around the globe, and now it is their turn to be heard.
