VA clinic in Youngstown substituted a “prop” book for Bible

By BRYANT JORDAN

military.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Youngstown substituted a “prop” book for a Bible after a civil-rights organization accused the facility of endorsing a particular faith by having only the Christian holy book displayed at a table set up to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action.

In a note to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation on Monday, Kristen Parker, chief of external affairs for the Cleveland VA Medical Center – which handles media for the Youngstown clinic – said the Bible was “replaced with a generic book, one whose symbolism can be individualized by each of our veterans as they pay their respects” to POWs and MIAs.

Parker told military.com Tuesday that because the VA cannot endorse, favor or inhibit any specific religion, “we are supporting our local veteran organizations with their decision to use a prop book on the POW/MIA Table at our Youngstown [clinic].”

Anthony Revetti, senior vice commander of the United Veterans Council of Mahoning County, said he and many other veterans are upset.

“I had over 60 calls last week from veterans who don’t like what’s going on,” said Revetti, who considers removing the Bible a violation of his and other veterans’ constitutional rights.

“As veterans, we all served God and our country. ... We fought for those constitutional rights. If those people get their constitutional rights, it shouldn’t infringe on ours,” Revetti said.

The switch was made after the veteran who initiated the complaint, working with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, responded to the clinic’s initial refusal to pull the Bible by demanding a separate table be set up with the Jewish Torah and a copy of “The God Delusion,” a popular book on atheism.

“If in the future I decide to add the Quran, or Mormon book of Latter-day Saints, that is my implied right,” retired Army Capt. Jordan Ray wrote.

The MRFF, which often butts heads with the military over religious displays, has now made Ray its director of Veterans Affairs.

Bobby Muller, a co-founder and past president of Vietnam Veterans of America and a member of the MRFF’s advisory board, followed up Ray’s letter with one Friday, reiterating Ray’s demand and noting the clinic “can probably expect more demands for additional displays, including a variety of other religious and nonreligious texts in the very near future.”

Parker did not respond when asked if the demand that other books get equal treatment on a memorial table played a part in the VA clinic’s decision.

Missing-man tables are set up as memorials to remember the fallen and the missing who never returned home. Though the tables set up at the Ohio facilities included a Bible, military.com’s search of missing-man table images turned up memorials without a Bible at military bases and at a VA facility in Maryland.

The Bible’s removal from the Youngstown facility represents the second time since February the MRFF forced the removal of a Bible from a missing-man table at an Ohio VA clinic.

The VA Akron Specialty Outpatient Clinic removed a New Testament Bible on Feb. 25 after the group was contacted by a disabled veteran troubled by presumption that all POWs and MIAs are Christian.

MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein said nine other veterans from the Akron clinic joined in the complaint, which he brought to the clinic leadership. He said the Bible was removed within three days.

Local veteran opinions vary on the subject.

“The Bible doesn’t always go on the POW/MIA table, I’m thinking for the very reason that not all POW/MIAs are Christian,” said Jan Brown, commander of AMVETS Post 44.

“I don’t have a problem with the Bible being used, but I’m a Christian and I’m not offended if it’s not there. We don’t use religion in our traditional Laying of the Roses ceremony,” Brown said.

Revetti said he is prepared to fight the issue and get other organizations involved.

“It’s not fair. They have freedom of speech and so do we,” he said.

Bryant Jordan can be reached at bryant.jordan@military.com. William K. Alcorn, staff writer, contributed to this story.