Foster: ROTC advocate deserved respect
When presenting the idea of bringing an ROTC program back to Columbia University, student and Iraq war veteran Anthony Maschek was heckled by his fellow students. Photo by James V. Carroll

Foster: ROTC advocate deserved respect

National Commander Jimmie L. Foster criticized the treatment of an Iraq war veteran by his fellow college students during a recent forum that discussed bringing ROTC back to Columbia University.

Former Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Maschek, who was shot 11 times in a firefight in northern Iraq in February 2008, was hissed and booed by his fellow students during the forum last week for defending the ROTC program and the military. The program has been banned at the Ivy League university for 42 years.

“While we support the right of any student to protest the return of ROTC, we cannot condone the lack of civility and ad hominem attacks directed at one of our nation’s heroes,” Foster said. “The American Legion concurs with Anthony Maschek that ROTC education should be available at every college and university for those who wish to volunteer their service to our country. Students’ time would be better spent honoring this brave soldier for the wounds he sustained in honorable service, and acquiring an appreciation for the price others paid for the freedom they now enjoy.”

The Columbia Spectator, the university’s newspaper, said in a recent editorial that “the news outlets who have covered the heckling of GS student and veteran Anthony Maschek have taken this unfortunate attack entirely out of context.”

In a recent Spectator article, Maschek said, “Comments by a small number of individuals at the town hall meeting have not changed my positive experiences at Columbia. Thus far, my fellow students have been very interested in hearing about my past life and military experiences. Columbia has been attempting to get more veterans to share their experiences here, and the atmosphere here has been supportive despite the actions of a very small minority of the town hall participants.”