BUDWEISER'S MARKETING IS ANTI--MILITARY

Budweiser marketing in San Diego is really offensive to our American flag and to all our active-duty military.

A huge American flag that once covered the casket of a Camp Pendleton Marine who was killed by an IED last year in Iraq had been hanging on a wall beside a pool table in Riley's Music & Sports Lounge on Nimitz Blvd. at Rosecrans.

(IN THE ABOVE PHOTO: A Scottish bagpiper plays in front of that special flag. Please forgive the sideways position of the flag, but I couldn't rotate it on this blog.)

It was a special memorial to that fallen Marine and hugely appreciated by the active-duty sailors from the nearby, super-secret Naval Sonar School in the Pt. Loma neighborhood of San Diego.

It is a flagrant violation of federal law to hang anything in front of an American flag that is on public display. That offense is similar to the prohibition against flying any other flag higher than the American flag on a flagpole, or on an American ship.

The San Diego marketing offices of the Budweiser company, however, could care less about honoring our national flag, or honoring a fallen Marine killed in combat in Iraq.

The Budweiser marketing offices hung a huge sign promoting their "Budweiser Football Specials" directly in front of that special, American flag hanging in memory of the dead Marine.

When the bar's owner was told on Friday, September 6th that it was morally highly offensive - and a violation of federal law - to have that Budweiser sign hanging in front of the American flag, blocking its viewing, he said: "Oh, we're going to take it (the flag, not the Budweiser sign) down on Sunday (2-days later)."

That didn't satisfy several sailor in the bar at the time.

The flag was ceremoniously removed immediately by Chris Sims, a sailor at the Naval Sonar School!

BUD'S PAST ANTI-MILITARY ACTION

Some might think that a huge, American corporation like Budweisner would be all-American!

Think again!

Nothing gets in the way of Bud's marketing efforts.

Last October 11th, I put on a huge Tribute to the Military at Riley's Bar honoring all active-duty military in the San Diego area, from the 32nd Street Naval Station to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Station miles away.

The active-duty service members were fed home-cooked venison, shipped specially for the event by hunters in Minnesota. A magician from Escondido appeared to entertain the military, and there were 86 door prizes given away.

It was a special night to make the local, active-duty military feel special!

It cost a LOT of money to produce the event. Budweiser didn't give one, plug penny to help with the cost.

But, when I arrived to set up the event, I found that Budweiser's San Diego marketing office had printed HUGE signs saying that they - Budweiser - was sponsoring the special Tribute to the Military.

I told the Bud marketing staff to remove the signs, and they refused. So I personally tore all of them off the walls and threw them in the trash.

To exploit an event honoring active-duty military to try to sell Budweiser products was disgusting.

The Budweiser national marketing office was informed by letter of this offensive behavior, but it ignored the letter.

I wouldn't drink one swallow of any Budweiser product now, even if it were given to me for free!!!

And, I urge other patriotic Americans to avoid any Budweiser product, also!

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Leo E. Laurence, J.D. can be reached at leopowerhere@msn.com, or by calling (619) 757-4909 - cell.