Officials at one high school in Michigan and at an amusement park in New Jersey had some explaining to do after recently disrespecting two members of the military.

When Lt. Col Sherwood Baker, a 24-year Army veteran, stopped at Rochester Adams High School in the Detroit area to discuss an issue regarding his daughter's class schedule, a security guard told him that he could not enter the school wearing his uniform because it could offend people. He was given the choice of phoning the office with his business or going home to change his clothes.Baker and his wife called the superintendent's office from the school parking lot and a staff member came out to let him in the building. School administrators quickly tried to make amends. The superintendent, a combat Marine veteran, said he was "appalled" at what happened and the district apologized for any perception that individuals in uniform are not welcome in the school. He added that the district does not have a policy excluding individuals in uniform and will work to make sure district policies are understood and communicated accurately.In case number two, Mario Alejandro, an Iraq War veteran who served four years in the Marines and is classified as disabled because of hearing loss and PTSD, was denied entry into Six Flags theme park in Jackson, New Jersey after being told that the military shirt he was wearing would offend people.A Father's Day gift, the shirt had a red, white and blue gun and the words "Keep Calm and Return Fire" on the front and the logo and website for The Reconnaissance Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps to support Recon Marines and their families, on the back.Alejandro said he was attempting to enter the park with his wife and kids when a security guard called the shirt "offensive" and said he had to take the shirt off or buy another shirt to put over it. After explaining that it's a military shirt and that it means something, another park official reportedly said, "I don't care, get out of the park."Two days later, Six Flags Great Adventure President John Fitzgerald personally called Alejandro to apologize and invited he and his family to visit the park again as VIP guests.Alejandro accepted the apology and said that he hopes the incident will help to prevent other veterans from having to experience similar situations in the future.In both of these cases, a tide of public opinion swelled rapidly after it was found that two war veterans were targeted because of their attire. Security workers at schools and public venues better brush up on their dress code policies before disrespected some of this nation's finest.By Jim Zbickeditor@tnonline.com