Opinion: Inaugural parade casualty: Firefighter quits band after suspension for waving at President Obama

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The firefighter from Cleveland who got a six-month suspension for waving at President Obama during the Inaugural Parade while marching in his fife-and-drum-corps unit has resigned from the band.

Drum Maj. John Coleman said when he looked over and saw the president waving, he couldn’t resist waving back -- a violation of the unit leader’s instruction to follow proper military rules of marching. Some, watching the video think Coleman also winked at the president, but he told CNN that, if you look closely, both eyes were in the process of closing.

In any event, band leaders were not amused.

‘We had gone over and over time and again with everyone in the band that this was a military parade. Protocol and proper decorum had to be followed at all times,’ band leader Pipe Maj. Mike Engle told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. No salutes to the commander in chief allowed. ‘Unfortunately, John chose to ignore that.’

Now Coleman -- who says he was told not to salute and did not salute, merely waved -- has decided to resign from the Cleveland Memorial Pipes & Drums. ‘There are too many bridges burned with the pipe band,’ he said, ‘too many hurt feelings on both sides.’

-- Johanna Neuman

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