An overflow crowd of mostly veterans appeared at Monday evening's Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners meeting to voice their opposition to Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr.'s decision to replace the POW-MIA flag at the municipal building with the Syrian flag.

The purpose of the flag raising was to allow the the Lehigh Valley's Christian Syrian community to celebrate its independence day April 18. More than 300 people attended the ceremony.

The incident caused an uproar, hardly seen at recent commissioners' meetings. Many attendees arrived on motorcycles, some wearing denim jackets with the words Rolling Thunder and Marine Corps on them. They pulled no punches in letting their feelings known. Shouts of "resign" were heard.

Board President Linda Snyder began by saying, "You will have as much time as you need, guaranteed."

Speakers angrily said removing the POW-MIA flag for even a short period of time was a violation of federal law and disrespectful to the military.

Hozza said later in a prepared statement, "If this action offended anyone, I apologize for that."

The Syrian flag was flown beneath the American flag. He said he was unaware any law was broken and that he and his family are staunch supporters of those who served and are serving in the Armed Forces.

Snyder said the commissioners as a group did not make the decision to allow the Syrian flag to be raised but rather that Hozza acted alone.

She said Hozza said on a local television broadcast that "we made the decision" regarding the flag.

"Who is we?" she asked, saying that Hozza issued the statement himself.

Kevin Seyfried of Whitehall led those going to the rostrum to speak.

"The only time that flag is allowed to be taken down is when all 88,000 POW-MIAs return home," said Seyfried, a Persian Gulf War veteran. "We want an amendment, or whatever it takes, so that the flag doesn't come down again. And we want an apology to the POW-MIAs and their families and to the men and women serving our country today."

"The day that Syrian flag went up, every veteran was crying," Larry Gutleber, commander of American Legion Post 426, Coplay, said. "You were sticking a stick in the eye of the mayor (Ed Pawlowski) in Allentown because you don't get along with him," he alleged.

Anthony Pearson of Whitehall responded that he doesn't believe Hozza held the program to "give the finger to veterans."

"I know it was an important day for Syria, but there had to be a better way to do that," he said.

Jeffrey Dutt, a candidate for township commissioner, said one of his students, a Syrian-American, was "appalled" by the flag raising.

Anna Rodriguez, wearing a Gold Star T-shirt, said, "What you did not only disrespected our flag, but my son. For that I will never forgive you. Nothing you can say will ever change the way I feel about you now."

"Don't ever do that again," Ed Kutz, another candidate for commissioner, told Hozza.

Whitehall High School history teacher Michael Yadush said the veterans attending the event "showed their passion" and added that he was embarrassed how Snyder conducted herself and by the comments she made.

"There was no intention to disrespect any of the veterans or soldiers serving now," said Aziz Wehbey, a Syrian-American who was active with the Syrian flag raising at Whitehall. "At the end of the ceremony, I saluted the Armed Forces of our great United States."

He said the program helps children understand their heritage.

Nidal Yacoub agreed that there was no intent to offend anyone.

"We respect the troops and the veterans," Yacoub said.

Hozza said he encourages any ethnic groups to reach out to him if interested in holding a flag-raising ceremony in the future in Whitehall to celebrate their heritage or independence day, while also honoring the United States.

Snyder said Hozza should put up a flagpole and have such ceremonies at his own residence.

"For our future flag-raising ceremonies for those who inquired, we will attempt to raise funds to install a secondary flagpole for the state flag and a third pole for our township flag, which will be used for such ceremonies," Hozza said.

He also said as mayor, he represents everyone in Whitehall. He said his support for veterans is without question as he attends all Memorial Day and Veterans Day services in the township and other veterans' functions.

Board Vice President Philip Ginder said an ad hoc committee to address the issue of flags will meet June 9 at the Fullerton American Legion. Leaders of the three veterans posts in the township will be asked to attend.