re: Veteran's microphone cut off when he discusses Blacks' role in establishing Memorial Day

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Audio engineer refuses instruction to mute equipment At a certain point in Kemter’s speech, Suchan said she asked A.J. Stokes, the event’s audio engineer, to turn off Kemter’s microphone. She said Stokes refused to do it himself, but pointed to the knob that controlled the microphone. Stokes confirmed his refusal and that he did point to the knob. He said it was Garrison who turned down the audio and then turned it back up a short time later.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Garrison declined to say whether he turned down the microphone and said he had "nothing to add" regarding the situation. Stokes said Suchan and Garrison were both “very adamant” about turning off Kemter’s microphone. “That was very improper,” Stokes said. “I would’ve never done something like that.”

He said he was “very upset” about what happened and hoped he was not being blamed. Suchan emphasized that Stokes was "totally blameless." He noted he’s handled the sound engineering for the event since the late 1960s and has his own company, Stokes Sound & Video Inc.

After the ceremony, Stokes said he apologized to Kemter about the loss in audio, but also told him, “I had nothing to do with that. Cindy and Jim were the ones that turned your microphone off.” When his microphone was turned down, Kemter said, he thought there was a problem with the equipment. After the event, Stokes “told me it was not a malfunction.”

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