Injured Veteran Refuses New Orleans Saints Award – Cites NFL Kneelers and Disrespect of US Flag (Video)

Injured veteran John Wells was honored by the New Orleans Saints with their People’s Health Champion Award this year.

But John Wells is not going to the game.
He told the Saints he could not in good conscience enter the stadium where players are disrespecting the flag.

Wells won’t be at the game on Sunday.
Breitbart.com reported:

Meet John Wells, he is a retired Navy commander and executive director of the national Military Veterans Advocacy organization, in Slidell, Louisiana. Mr. Wells was chosen by the Saints to be the recipient of the People’s Health Champion award. A recognition offered to a member of the community who exemplifies “the exceptional achievements of Louisiana residents age 65 and older.”

Though flattered by being chosen for the award, Wells could not “in good conscience” accept the award. Given the “slap in the face” he feels NFL players have shown veterans by way of their anthem protests.

“Although I am touched and honored to be selected for such an award, the ongoing controversy with NFL players’ disrespect for the national flag forces me to decline to participate in the presentation,” Wells said in a press release. “Since this award is tainted with the dishonorable actions of the NFL and its players, I cannot accept it.”

The Saints responded to Wells in a lengthy statement on Thursday afternoon:

Respectfully and honorably, we chose Mr. Wells for the Peoples Health Champion Award purposefully for this game to bring to light the exact issues that he and his organization represent — the health and well-being of our military, veterans and their families. Unfortunately, he has chosen very publicly not to accept this honor and refused the opportunity to promote the very cause for which he was being honored and distract from awareness we hoped to build throughout our community. We respect his decision, he has that right, and we thank him for his service to our country and his past efforts on behalf of the military and veterans.

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Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

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