Will Obama invite the "Battlefield Cross boy" to the White House?

13-year-old faced discipline for T-shirt with battlefield cross

"GRESHAM, Ore. – A 13-year-old boy was told to change his T-shirt or face discipline at his middle school.

"Alan Holmes' shirt included the image of a gun, which school leaders said is not allowed.

"But the boy and his family argued the rifle is shown with boots and a helmet, in what is recognized as the battle field cross for fallen soldiers, and is meant to support the troops. The shirt said "Standing for those who stood for us."

"'It's not standing for violence, I tell you that much," Holmes said. "It's standing for the memorial for the soldiers, who have died for us and our freedom, and I 100 percent support them because they're supporting us."

"In a brief statement to KGW, Gresham-Barlow School District spokeswoman Athena Vadnais wrote "… we have a policy on student dress and grooming. Weapons on a shirt are not appropriate in a school setting"." . . .

The Fallen Soldier Battle Cross, Battlefield Cross or Battle Cross

. . . "It is made up of the soldier's rifle stuck into the ground or into the soldier's boots, with helmet on top. Dog tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, and the boots of the dead soldier can be placed next to the rifle. The purpose is to show honor and respect for the dead at the battle site. The practice started during the American Civil War or maybe earlier as a meansof identifying the bodies on the battleground before they were removed.

"Today, it is an immediate means of showing respect for the dead among the still living members of the troop. It might be seen in the field or base camp after the battle in Afghanistan or Iraq. Used less today as a means to identify the dead but more as a private ceremony among those still living as a means to mourn, as attending the funeral is not always possible for soldiers still in the fight." . . .