Did U.S. Soccer Players Turn Their Back on a World War II Vet Playing the National Anthem?

No.

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Following an exhibition match between the U.S. women’s national soccer team and the Mexico women’s soccer team, claims that members of the U.S.team turned their back on 98-year-old World War II veteran Pete DuPré as he performed the national anthem went viral.

This claim has its roots in an article from the Post Millennial, which initially reported that members of the soccer team had turned away from DuPré as he performed the anthem. When team representatives and players  pointed out that they turned to face the American flag,  the Post Millennial changed its article to criticize the players who didn’t turn to face the flag and instead stood facing Dupré:

The Post Millennial later reported this information in a separate article and updated its original article to include the responses from the U.S. women’s soccer team, though the piece still maintains the misleading headline “US women’s soccer team members turned away from flag as 98-year-old WWII vet played the national anthem.”

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  1. @fakeJohn

    The truly patriotic way to have handled this situation would have been to twirl around and split time between the vet and the flag. These women were clearly not up to the challenge. SAD.

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    1. V Addeman

      There is no truly patriotic way to honour the anthem or flag.

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  2. anonvet

    I think this proves JG's thesis that the supply of news in the internet age doesn't match the demand for new content.

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    Graps

    A total over-reach from the typical sources, just itching to find a way to be outraged over anything flag/sports related (and that in this case it's strong women who have already proven quite effective in drawing attention to various discrimination-based issues). That said, it's just not that hard to invite an honor guard and have the flag RIGHT THERE next to the musical artist.

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    1. GregS

      It's only a problem if someone decides to be offended. And people who've decided to be offended will find a way to do so regardless of what you do to proactively satisfy them, or indeed, regardless of whether you've actually even done anything at all.
      The right complains about this attitude incessantly when it comes to anyone pointing out racism or sexism. But they've been doing it forever when it comes to "patriotism", and now they're doing the "I will pre-emptively take offense at the fact that I think you might take offense at what I am about to say" move.
      Look at the review of "Black Widow" on NR today for example. The reviewer hates the movie. But he has to point out that the director is a woman, and claims that anyone saying the movie is good is only doing so because of this fact, and claims that all movies directed by women are therefore graded on a curve. So he's just terribly offended that someone might consider calling him sexist. And also thinks that all women-directed movies are unfairly praised. Fantastic.

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    2. Shaybult

      Yeah, I totally blame whoever was responsible for that setup. It's like they were trying to create a problem.

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    Todd T

    I feel sad that you even have to acknowledge this article/tweet. It is equivalent to being forced to answer the question "have you stopped beating your dog?"

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    Chris L

    Seems like the Post Millennial is either really desperate for clicks, or they *really* hate the US women's soccer team.

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      Bob W

      likely a combo of both- disparaging the USWNT (especially Rapinoe) is a sure fire driver of hate clicks.

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    Show Jay Janney the 🚪!

    This is a classic example of "damned if you do, damned if you don't". When the organizers face Mr. Dupree, but the flag is placed not behind him, but away, then you cannot face both, unless you are, of course, a two-faced politician. But I repeat myself.

    My advice in the future is for event organizers to think about optics like this, and arrange it better. I don't fault the players on this one.

    I have no problem with the soccer team on this one.

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      Rob Weiter

      I watched the game. There only two sports that I like (hockey, soccer or "football" as the rest of the world calls it). There seemed to be nothing offensive about it to me -- unless some "sh*t disturber" (as my dad, a WW2 vet who served in the European theater) wanted to make "something of nothing". That's what too many fools on the right and too many fools on the extreme left do too often online and now on too many shows with pundits because "making something of nothing" gets people who weren't even aware of the situation or involved, riled up. It increases clicks online, brings them into conversation as we are here, is profitable for cable and streaming news networks even if not true.

      We're talking about it therefore the Millennial Post "wins", but only so much because I bet most of us don't have a desire to go read their stupid "reporting" regardless of our political persuasions because we're engaged enough to read "The Dispatch".

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      Pat @ Tavi Hall

      Can't tell you how many college sporting events do this to the fans. Big flag up on the stadium, smaller flag held by the ROTC honor guard. It's confusing.

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        Show Jay Janney the 🚪!

        It seems an announcer could offer some clarity when that happens. FWIW if there is a color guard marching, I follow them and not the big flag, to be polite.

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