Staff report
Veterans and their family members will picket the Hefner VA Medical Center Friday to show their opposition to planned changes at the facility.
Zane Robertson, a Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War, has worked for weeks to organize the event and enlist a large number of people to protest the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ decision to close the emergency room and inpatient services.Robertson obtained a permit from the Salisbury Police Department to picket Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The permit restricts picketing to specified areas. Ambulatory picketers will be be in the grass area in front of the VA. Wheelchair-bound participants will be across Brenner Avenue in front of John Calvin Presbyterian Church.
All veterans and military organizations including the American Legion, VFW, DAV and Amvets, have been invited to participate along with concerned citizens who support the veterans.
Robertson said dependents of active-duty military members who are serving overseas will also participate.
Dependents of VA employees will also participate.
“We want to keep the pressure on,” Robertson said.
Robertson said he has heard VA officials say that Vietnam veterans start strong but will slack off. He intends to show that Vietnam vets and other veterans will stay with the fight.
Robertson said despite assurances from Washington that the changes are on hold and under review, the effort to eliminate the services is continuing.
He said Wednesday that Carolyn Adams, director of the VA Medical Center, “wants to have (the changes) done by Dec. 1, and it’s supposed to be on hold.”
Anyone who wants to participate in the demonstration can call 704-630-0826. The permit allows demonstrators to picket in small groups.
Signs are restricted to 2 feet by 2 feet.
No one under 18 will be allowed to participate.