New Jersey Veteran Denied Entry to Six Flags Over Marine T-Shirt Receives Apology

A New Jersey veteran who was denied entry into Six Flags Great Adventure because of a T-shirt supporting fellow Marines has reportedly received an apology from the park’s president.

Veteran Turned Away Over Military-Themed Shirt

Mario Alejandro, 33, a former U.S. Marine, was visiting the New Jersey theme park with his wife and children last week when security officials denied him entry. The issue centered on his T-shirt, which featured an image of an M-16 rifle and the phrase “Keep Calm and Return Fire.”

The incident quickly gained national attention after Alejandro publicly spoke out, expressing outrage over how park security handled the situation. He said the shirt supports Recon Marines and their families and was not intended to be offensive.

Apology From Six Flags President

According to NJ.com, Alejandro received a phone call on Saturday from the park’s president, John Fitzgerald, who personally apologized for the incident. The call came one week after Alejandro was turned away at the park entrance.

Alejandro described the conversation as humbling and appreciated the effort made by park leadership to reach out directly.

“The fact that this guy took the time to call me, to personally explain what their policy was and to apologize about the way things happened, it was pretty cool of him,” Alejandro said.

Park Issues Public Statement

In a statement shared by a Six Flags spokeswoman, the park acknowledged the mistake and said the employees involved did not realize the shirt was tied to a military charity.

“Six Flags takes great pride in the various ways we honor, celebrate and support our military heroes,” said Kristin B. Siebeneicher in an email. “We strive to maintain a family-friendly environment and, similar to many other public venues, we have a dress code. Unfortunately, at the time our employee did not know Mr. Alejandro’s shirt was related to a military charity, and we apologize to any military personnel who may have been offended by our mistake.”

Shirt Supported Marine Charity

The back of Alejandro’s T-shirt read “Reconnaissance Foundation,” a Marine Corps foundation that supports Recon Marines and their families. Alejandro said his children bought him the shirt as a Father’s Day gift.

At the time of the incident, Alejandro stated that he identified the shirt to park staff as military-related.

VIP Tickets Offered

During the apology call, Fitzgerald reportedly offered Alejandro and his family free VIP tickets to return to the park. Alejandro said he appreciated the gesture but was unsure whether he would use them.

A request for comment from the theme park was not immediately returned.