When 18 year-old Army recruit Megan Pohlmeier was preparing for her high school graduation in Nebraska, she knew exactly how she wanted to walk across the stage to get her diploma. Megan wanted nothing more than to wear her United States Army sash across her graduation gown to show how much she loves her country.

However, Megan’s high school did not like her show of patriotism and forbade her from wearing the Army sash. Unsatisfied with this answer, Megan fought her school to give her the right to show how excited she is to join the Army.

“It was something I worked really hard to earn. They told me ‘no’ and did not really give me a reason,” Megan said.

When Megan told her parents what happened, her dad demanded to speak to Principal Thomas Szlanda and ask him why his daughter could not wear the sash. The principal responded by saying no graduating students are allowed to wear anything that displays symbols of other organizations.

When her graduation day came, Megan defiantly decided to bring her sash with her anyway so she could take pictures with it after the ceremony, tucking it into her pocket until afterwards.

However, when Megan’s principal saw her hiding the sash, he pulled her out of line and forced her to go through the ceremony without the sash.

“He pulled me out of line and said, ‘I talked to you and your father, and you are not to be wearing that. If I see you wearing that again, you will not receive your diploma,’” Megan lamented.

Afterwards, Megan shared her story on social media, and it immediately went viral as support poured in for her from all over the country.

“Hastings High School Graduation, where students are allowed to wear ropes and sashes from their future colleges, but not allowed graduating ENLISTED soldier to wear their Army sash?” wrote Shawna Ewoldt, who lives in Hastings, Nebraska. “The principal informed her that she ‘won’t get her diploma under any circumstances’ if she wears her Army sash. The brave young woman willing to make sacrifices for her country deserves much better than this! This is unacceptable. We need to do something about him and people like him. She is Army strong, and I am proud of her. Thank you to her and all or our military!”

We think that any young person who is preparing to serve our country should be allowed to show their patriotism at graduation however they please!

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