Friday, Sept. 17, 2004 | 9:19 a.m.
A quiet protest of presidential candidate John Kerry by the Nevada Veterans for Bush brought 25 people to the Leatherneck Club Thursday afternoon to back the president for reasons of national security.
When asked why the Bush supporters didn't parade outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center where Kerry spoke to the National Guard Association earlier Thursday, Paul Adams, chairman of the veteran's group, said the protesters stayed away out of respect for the National Guard.
"We could be as effective here and allow the event to have dignity even though we vehemently disagree with Sen. Kerry," said Adams, who served 10 years in the U.S. Army in Arizona, Hawaii, South Carolina and Northern California before he became an entrepreneur in a manufacturing consulting firm and moved to Las Vegas.
Adams said he was honorably discharged for knee and hearing problems.
Some 200 demonstrators marched outside the convention center when Bush spoke on Tuesday.
Adams repeated the GOP complaints against Kerry that he has changed his stance on funds for defense budgets, weapons systems and the war on Iraq.
"We believe very firmly that President Bush is the person to lead the country, not someone who will flip-flop in these difficult times," Adams said.
No one addressed the controversy over the gap in Bush's records from his time in the Texas Air National Guard. Documents publicized last week by CBS on "60 Minutes" pointed to Bush disobeying a direct order for a physical examination.
Those documents are now in question by some experts and relatives of the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, who supposedly wrote them when he was one of Bush's commanders in 1972 and 1973.
Joshua Bunker, 21, who spent more than two years on a construction detail with a Henderson-based National Guard unit, was at the event with his mother, Theresa Bunker.
Both said they support Bush, whom they met on his stop in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
"Oh, my God, what a day," Theresa Bunker said. "I'm still floating. He (Bush) won me over.
"I wish every American could meet this man because in just a few minutes, I saw the strength in him."
Joshua Bunker returned to Las Vegas in March and said he is ready to go back to Iraq. He worked on rebuilding and repairing the Abu Ghraib prison. "If they need us, I'll go back," he said.
Supporters, meanwhile, rallied around Kerry.
About 100 supporters of Sen. John Kerry were outside the Las Vegas Convention Center to welcome him Thursday morning.
The group included many people who had turned out Tuesday to protest President Bush.
Caroline Wolf, of North Las Vegas, brought her three children to the rally for Kerry.
"I took them out of school today so that they could learn about having a strong political opinion," Wolf said as she cheered for Kerry on Paradise Road in front of the convention center. "I just think that John Kerry will make a compassionate president who will fight for what's right.
"I'm very disappointed in the president taking us to war in Iraq."
The crowd included many union members, who used PVC pipe to mount a 30-foot long blue and gold sign that read "Kerry and Edwards."
Terry Tallent, an electrician, said that he had some questions that he feels the president hasn't answered.
"Why don't we have (Osama) bin Laden?" Tallent asked. "Why are we in Iraq when we haven't found him yet?"
About 10 Metro Police officers kept an eye on the sign-carrying supporters as they shouted, "Kerry, Kerry, Kerry."
The rally began about 11 a.m. and broke up about 1 p.m.
archive
