Welcome home veterans

[awbrown1462]

From the News-Enterprize Elizabethtown, KY


Guest editorial by Dave Jarrett
As many of you are aware there has been a change in the format of this year’s Kentucky Heartland Festival. Rather than it just being an event for Elizabethtown with a parade on Saturday, it has been expanded both in number of days and participants. This year’s festival involves the Chambers of Commerce of Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove, and West Point as well as the Fort Knox Public Affairs office. The expansion ensures all of Hardin County is involved in this year’s theme – “Thank You from The Heartland – A Salute to Vietnam Veterans.” A schedule of events is at www.salutetovietnamveterans.com.
Some may say, isn’t it a bit late to welcome home Vietnam veterans? I would reply that it is never too late to show our gratitude for service and sacrifices of our veterans, but in the case of Vietnam vets it is long overdue. To say the Vietnam War was an unpopular war is an understatement. television coverage focused on those protesting the war and often included some of the gruesome details of the fighting including the number of American personnel who were killed in action. Vietnam vets served in a war that did not have public support and one where those in Washington set parameters and restrictions that many times put our troops in harm’s way. Most Vietnam veterans were not welcomed home with open arms and many arrived home to chants of anti-war protesters. Fortunately times have changed and Hardin County residents get a chance to show gratitude and support for our Vietnam vets during the Kentucky Heartland Festival.
A lot of hard work and planning has taken place to ensure this is a meaningful event. Many corporate sponsors have made significant donations. Specific events scheduled for Vietnam vets commence on Thursday morning at 9:15 a.m. at the General George S. Patton Museum on Fort Knox. Buses will transport the Vietnam vets to Brooks Parade Field for a recognition service at 10 a.m. Dependents are encouraged to attend as well. The moving replica of the Vietnam Wall also will be positioned at Keyes Park just behind the Patton Museum on Wednesday afternoon and remain through Sunday.
Everyone is welcome to attend as many of the events and veteran recognitions listed on the Web site and scheduled for Thursday in Vine Grove and Friday in West Point and Radcliff.
Vietnam vets are encouraged to participate in Saturday’s Heartland parade in Elizabethtown. They may walk or ride just behind the Grand Marshal, Adrian Cronauer, who is a Vietnam vet and the disc jockey portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie, “Good Morning Vietnam.” Vietnam vets should gather in the parking lot by the Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce by 9:30 a.m. as the parade starts at 10 a.m.
For those Vietnam veterans in the parade, transportation is being arranged to take you from Rose’s Shopping Center parking lot where the parade ends to a recognition celebration at the Camp Saigon tent near the boathouse at Freeman Lake. All Vietnam vets will be recognized in a ceremony commencing at approximately 1 p.m. Vietnam veterans who attend this event will be presented with a patch and coin to commemorate their service in Vietnam. On Aug. 29 at Camp Saigon there will be prayer service commencing at 7:30 a.m. The service will be led by a fellow Vietnam veteran, the Rev. Kent Litchfield of Holy Apostles Church. Following the service a breakfast compliments of the Elizabethtown Ministerial Association will be served. The public is welcome.
I would encourage all Vietnam vets to attend this Welcome Home event. It is you and your service that is being acknowledged by our community and its leaders. If you still can fit into your Vietnam uniform or have a replacement uniform similar to what you wore in Vietnam please wear it for these events. If you have access to unit flags from Vietnam or wish to participate in the event as a unit, you are welcome to set up a small tent outside the main tent to display your unit colors and perhaps meet with fellow Vietnam vets you served with. Contact the chamber at (270) 765-4334 or John Thompsett, Coordinator of Veteran Events, at (270) 735-2057 to make the necessary arrangements.
In closing, I’d like to cover a few administrative details. Vietnam vets who have access to a computer should register on the event Web site listed above. Complementary parking passes will be e-mailed to Vietnam veterans to use on Saturday at Freeman Lake. If you are unable to print the pass, they may be picked up at the chamber office in Elizabethtown starting Wednesday, Aug. 25. Transportation is needed for veterans who need to ride in the parade and to transport veterans to Freeman Lake following the parade. Please call the Chamber you can assist. Volunteer Parking Attendants are desperately needed for traffic entering Freeman Lake Park. Please contact Eric Brandenburg at 270-300-6161 or at ebranden
burg@ffsbky.com to volunteer.
Enjoy as many of the events as you can. Let’s make this Welcome Home to Our Vietnam Vets an event to remember. A special thank you to veterans and active duty personnel for your service to our nation. God Bless America and our troops. Dave Jarrett is a Veteran Service Officer for the Disabled American Veterans and a Vietnam Veteran.

[GT6238]

Look, I got back to the world in 1971 and the only welcome home I gave a sh/t about was from my family, my friends and especially, my girl. As far as I'm concerned, this is ridiculously overdue and I wouldn't give it the time of day. So, pizz off.

[awbrown1462]

GT I sure hope you were not telling me to pizz off I just posted it and your respones was the same as most of my friends at work and I belive it is long over due and long to late

[GT6238]

No...not you....that's what I'd say to the people on this event....hope you aren't offended, but it's just that I'm way, way past thinking I need a welcome home....

[DanM]

Did anyone attend the LZ Lambeau event last May? Seems there wasn't much press after the event.

[hbharrison]

Far as I am concerned sounds great it is a little late and I do know some Viet Nam Vets do not give a rats banana. That being said let them do it for those who do care we never got anything other than told to go to H*ll so anything someone does or says to say Welcome Home is a good thing and thanks for the post.

[awbrown1462]

I do want to go see the mini wall though

[DocGreek]

....Why are "people" dragging this crap out of the closet....AGAIN? NO combat Vet wants to keep being reminded of the GD war! Exactly WHAT purpose does this type of celebration have? I think it's all "GUILT RELIEF", for those who WOULDN'T serve......EH?......

[GT6238]

You got that, Doc.

[Wyoming]

I wanna go to a reunion of the draft dodging, hippie-assed, long haired war heros that fled to Canada.

[gkmoz]

I wanna go to a reunion of the draft dodging, hippie-assed, long haired war heros that fled to Canada.

Me Too Me Too Me Too !!! " Patriots " Yeah ! Remember the news people calling them patriots for leaving the country for their stand against the war ! And let us NEVER forget Hanoi Jane ! I forgive her ! But will never forget !

[Lynn2]

I wanna go to a reunion of the draft dodging, hippie-assed, long haired war heros that fled to Canada.

It took a little guts to pull up stakes and go to Canada. But if you believe a war is wrong-----and brother VN was wrong----then I have no problem with people that do what they have to do.

But what about those gutless flag waving supporters that did their best not to go?

What about 5 deferment Cheney? Or the boys that pulled strings to get in the guard?

Or those in uniform that got orders to VN and then dropped a big radio on their foot to get out of those orders?

Or those in uniform that shipped over just to get a safer mos or to avoid VN altogether?

There were some of of us that did everything we could to get in the fight.

And then there were those that sat on the side lines glad the Corps or the Army or the Navy had not found them. And while they sat safe and sound while their brothers died they did nothing to make sure they could come and lend a hand. Just pig crap happy to have been over looked.

Fock those flag waving cowards.

"NON combat,Viet Nam era spent 19 months inCa."----must have been nice.

[Wyoming]

It took a little guts to pull up stakes and go to Canada. But if you believe a war is wrong-----and brother VN was wrong----then I have no problem with people that do what they have to do.

Bull****, bull****, bull****!!!

[m14ed]

It took a little guts to pull up stakes and go to Canada. ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????

And then there were those that sat on the side lines glad the Corps or the Army or the Navy had not found them. And while they sat safe and sound while their brothers died they did nothing to make sure they could come and lend a hand. Just pig crap happy to have been over looked.

Fock those flag waving cowards.

"NON combat,Viet Nam era spent 19 months inCa."----must have been nice.

K>I>S>S> =keep it simple stupid The list for Dodgers and Duckers is never ending

[OLE SARG]

IF the dog had not stopped to take a sh it, he would have caught the rabbit!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I concur with Big Al on this one B U L L S H I T!!!!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,