Poster at the Hard Rock Cafe
Sgt Grit
I would like to first thank you for all you do. Boy do I have a story for you. Ok first I will start off by telling you my Husband is a Marine serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom on his second tour . He and the Brave Marines of 2/25 have Volunteered to serve along side their Brothers in arms 1/25. I am very proud to tell you they are kicking a$$ in Fallujah and making us all proud. The 1st Sgt has an awesome Blog http://charlie125marines.blogspot.com/
for anyone interested in reading. My daughter is on a Color Guard team and they have won the North East Region and South East Group and New York Wing Competitions. With that being said they made their way to the National Color Guard Competition in Washington DC. I want you to know this is the first time NY has made it to Washington for this event in 30 years. I am proud Mom of an Air Force Auxiliary Cadet (CAP). My daughter had a knee injury and would not give up she had torn cartilage on the knees and still ran her mile run and was able to get through the Competition and receive knee surgery after it was all over. I truly believe she did this for her Dad to make him proud ( he already is ) The Marine Corps has also instilled these Corps values in our children. Never give in Never Give up .Ok on to the meat of the matter. We took our cadets to see all the Memorials in Washington and went to have a bite to eat and stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe. There were 17 of us and as we started to make our way towards our table one of the cadets said ” Mrs Martino you are not going to like this” I look to the left and there was a picture mocking Iwo Jima Marines and the worst part was it had a JAPANESE FLAG . So half of our party was seated already my daughter and a few of the Cadets started taking pictures of it. I asked to speak to the Manager and he came out and I said can you please explain to me what this is ? My husband is a United States Marine and I find this to be disgraceful and insulting to every Marine who has ever served in the United States Military I went on to tell him 7,000 Marines died taking Iwo Jima during WW 2 and it was a Monumental moment . I asked him to take it down he didn’t so Our Party of 17 got up and exited the restaurant . He told me Jane Fonda hung it there. I told him I took a picture of it and their license and would be sending it to every Marine I know including Fox news. I was sick to my stomach for hours after even the cadets 15 and 16 year old Teens were offended. Our Cadets fathers have all served in the Army Navy and Marine Corps. One of them said this is not just insulting to the Marines but to all branches of the Armed Forces. The kids inspired me to write a letter to the Hard Rock cafe..here is there response….and I will also show you the photos..I am definitely happy the picture was removed I almost feel a small victory over Hanoi Jane. Message to Jane Don’t underestimate the power of a pissed off Marines Wife and Daughter . Ooh Rah.
To Our Marines serving all over the Globe God Bless you and to My husband and the 25th Marines. Your Families are proud of you and we are Honored to be your Wives Mothers Fathers and Son’s and daughters. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for you ALL.
Semper Fidelis Sharon Martino
Proud Wife of SSgt Joe Martino
H&S Co SSP 2/25
Dear Mrs. Martino,
Thank you for contacting Hard Rock Cafe International to share your comments and concerns regarding our selection of music memorabilia in our Washington DC Cafe. We would like to thank you for being such a loyal Hard Rock Cafe customer and assure you that Hard Rock would never want a guest to feel uncomfortable in one of our cafes. At Hard Rock Cafe, we select memorabilia from all music genres including such classics as Elvis and The Beatles to more obscure artists, such as Husker Du, a band featured on the concert flyer mentioned in your email. These pieces are certainly not intended to offend any of our patrons, but are meant to show the history of rock music and its irreverent nature. We do recognize and understand that due to the variety of customers that we serve, that not everyone will agree with the selection of memorabilia we choose.
Here at Hard Rock one of our favorite sayings is that ?Rock is Democratic.? From the love it or leave it rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd to the protest songs of Pete Seeger we strive to reflect the breadth and depth of music during many of our Nation?s most turbulent times. We greatly respect the sacrifices made by our armed service men and women. World War II was fought to keep us free from the most totalitarian and repressive fascist regimes in history. It was their sacrifice that enables us to enjoy the freedom of speech and expression that we have today.
Out of respect for your opinion, and others like you, this piece has been removed from the walls of the Washington DC Hard Rock. We hope this gesture will ensure your return to the Hard Rock Cafe and restore your faith in the Hard Rock Brand.
It is through correspondence such as yours that we have the opportunity to learn how to provide better service to our guests. For this, we thank you for taking the time to write to us. Please accept our sincere apology for any dissatisfaction you may have experienced while dining at the Hard Rock Cafe. We do hope to serve you and your family in the future.
Love All Serve All!
xxxxxxx
Customer Care Team Supervisor
Hard Rock Cafe