Thirty years ago, the last American troops withdrew from Vietnam. The men and women who served in that war have never been properly thanked for their sacrifices, but a group is now organizing a celebration to publicly honor, thank and recognize America’s Vietnam veterans. Called Operation Welcome Home, it is a four-day celebration centered around the Veterans Day holiday. The national headquarters will be in Las Vegas, and the city has planned activities that include a Veterans Day parade, a nightly Patriots Party on Fremont Street, and an air show at Nellis Air Force Base. The Moving Wall, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall, will be set up near Fremont Street, and volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors with finding the names of loved ones and friends.
“Operation Welcome Home will be a singular moment in American history, a rare opportunity to turn back the clock and heal old wounds,” said Mike Jackson, Operation Welcome Home national chairman and co-author of Naked in Da Nang, a recently released book that inspired the event. “The goal is to help close the loop on the Vietnam experience – and to offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’ and ‘welcome home’ to every man and woman who put on a uniform and traveled to that distant and hostile region in service to our country.”
When soldiers returned from Southeast Asia, they were warned to remove their uniforms before passing through the airport terminal so they wouldn’t be accosted by protesters. Those of us who are old enough to remember those days recall that returning servicemen were often called “babykillers” and were accused of indiscriminately slaughtering innocent women and children. Later, Vietnam veterans were advised to remove their tour of duty from résumés and professional documents, so they wouldn’t be suspected of being unstable or haunted.
Now is a good time to show these men and women that the country appreciates their service and their sacrifices. I suspect most of them would rather not make a fuss about it; they may even resent the fact that it’s taken so long for the country to recognize them. But let’s do it now while they are still around to be honored.
It’s also a good time to reflect on how we’re treating our returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq. As in the Vietnam conflict, there are many people who think our involvement in these areas is ill-advised. Some think the U.S. is “trading oil for lives;” others think we’re using our military might to push around smaller nations; still others think the money spent supporting the military should be used to solve domestic problems.
No matter what your political position, the fact remains that right now service men and women are putting themselves in harm’s way to serve their country, just as they did in Vietnam. Many of them leaving the stresses of the war zone have been thrown immediately back in action on the front line helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina, where they are again exhibiting courage, heroism and compassion.
Our soldiers, sailors and marines did not make the political decisions that sent them to war. They just stepped up to answer their country’s call to duty. I would hate to think that service men and women returning from the Middle East would have to shoulder the blame for an unpopular war, like our Vietnam veterans did.
Do you know someone with a family member serving in the military? Take the time to ask about that person and see if you can send a letter or e-mail expressing your appreciation. Perhaps one of your co-workers was called up from the reserves and sent to the Middle East. When that employee returns, help welcome him or her back to the company. Let’s do it right this time, not 30 years from now.
For the full story on Operation Welcome Home, including a calendar of events and how your organization or community can participate, visit: VietnamWelcomeHome.org.
It is the soldier, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the soldier – who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag – who allows the protester to burn the flag.
Anonymous
