Did he wink?
John Coleman: John Coleman suspended from band (photo/video) | Top-Buzz.net
John Coleman (above) is punished for saluting Obama at the march. John Coleman, a Ohio firefighter and Drum Major of Cleveland Firefighter's Memorial Pipes and Drums, was caught tipping his head towards Barack Obama during the Inauguration celebrations in Washington D.C. on Tues., Jan 20.
Other pipe bands complained about Coleman and he was suspended. John Coleman was given a 6 month suspension from the pipe and drum band. CNN cameras caught him nodding and waving at Obama. Some even said Coleman winked. Coleman denied winking.
The firefighter from Cleveland who got a six-month suspension for waving at President Obama during the Inaugural Parade while marching in his fife-and-drum-corps unit has resigned from the band.
Drum Maj. John Coleman said when he looked over and saw the president waving, he couldn't resist waving back — a violation of the unit leader's instruction to follow proper military rules of marching. Some, watching the video think Coleman also winked at the president, but he told CNN that, if you look closely, both eyes were in the process of closing.
In any event, band leaders were not amused.
"We had gone over and over time and again with everyone in the band that this was a military parade. Protocol and proper decorum had to be followed at all times," band leader Pipe Maj. Mike Engle told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. No salutes to the commander in chief allowed. "Unfortunately, John chose to ignore that."
Now Coleman — who says he was told not to salute and did not salute, merely waved — has decided to resign from the Cleveland Memorial Pipes Drums. "There are too many bridges burned with the pipe band," he said, "too many hurt feelings on both sides."
John Coleman: John Coleman suspended from band (photo/video) | Top-Buzz.net
John Coleman (above) is punished for saluting Obama at the march. John Coleman, a Ohio firefighter and Drum Major of Cleveland Firefighter's Memorial Pipes and Drums, was caught tipping his head towards Barack Obama during the Inauguration celebrations in Washington D.C. on Tues., Jan 20.
Other pipe bands complained about Coleman and he was suspended. John Coleman was given a 6 month suspension from the pipe and drum band. CNN cameras caught him nodding and waving at Obama. Some even said Coleman winked. Coleman denied winking.
The firefighter from Cleveland who got a six-month suspension for waving at President Obama during the Inaugural Parade while marching in his fife-and-drum-corps unit has resigned from the band.
Drum Maj. John Coleman said when he looked over and saw the president waving, he couldn't resist waving back — a violation of the unit leader's instruction to follow proper military rules of marching. Some, watching the video think Coleman also winked at the president, but he told CNN that, if you look closely, both eyes were in the process of closing.
In any event, band leaders were not amused.
"We had gone over and over time and again with everyone in the band that this was a military parade. Protocol and proper decorum had to be followed at all times," band leader Pipe Maj. Mike Engle told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. No salutes to the commander in chief allowed. "Unfortunately, John chose to ignore that."
Now Coleman — who says he was told not to salute and did not salute, merely waved — has decided to resign from the Cleveland Memorial Pipes Drums. "There are too many bridges burned with the pipe band," he said, "too many hurt feelings on both sides."
