Posted on 03/11/2005 6:40:07 PM PST by Prov3456
Vietnam veterans will receive a special tribute this year in Branson, the southwest Missouri music mecca with a long tradition of honoring military service.
The "Welcome Home: America's Tribute to Vietnam Veterans" scheduled June 13-19 will include a parade, fly-overs by vintage aircraft, golf and fishing tournaments and a day-long concert by performers including the Doobie Brothers, Ann-Margaret, Tony Orlando, the Oak Ridge Boys and the Four Tops.
Organizers hope the event will help provide healing to those veterans still smarting over the reception some of them received when they returned from the divisive war.
Bill Groninger, who flew more than 100 reconnaissnce missions over Vietnam and moved to Branson after retiring from the Air Force, called the event "a major league step toward healing."
"The critical part with the vets who actually served in the conflict is that there's never been a healing process," said Groninger, now director of America's Veterans Task Force. "The biggest issue that Vietnam has served is to make sure our citizenry as well as our government never leave our troops behind again."
Groninger believes the Vietnam experience has application now in making people more aware of the need to help those serving in the Iraq war re-adjust when they return home.
"It's amazing how quickly we forget the struggle people go through in order to defend our value system," Groninger said.
What's being done in Iraq, he said, is an effort to develop the American value system in another country.
"But you can't take 18-, 19- 20-year-olds, teach them to kill another human being, and at the end of 12 months, reintegrate that individual back into normal society without equipping them with some adjustment skills," he said.
Thank you, Vietnam vets, for your service to our country and for the sacrifices you made to protect American freedom. Welcome Home.
I wonder if FReepers everywhere would like to participate.
Ping
Ping
I have to say, THANK YOU VIETNAM VETS. I was a youngster but I remember. I remember the *hit they went through. Okay, I get emotional.
Thanks for the ping. I've got 3 uncles/aunts and a cousin and his wife living in Branson so I should be able to get there for most of it. I'll have to stay on top of this. Again, thanks.
NOT!!!!!!!
Excellent ping! We'll certainly try to get there!
We were at a show in Branson the night the war in Iraq was announced. It was an incredibly patriotic event. We're going to be at a family reunion in Branson the week following this event. Darn! Wish the reunion was a week earlier!
Here is a link to their website:
http://operationhomecomingusa.com/
The final event with aircraft flyovers should be fantastic! I'm looking forward to attending and hope to meet some old buddies from years past.
I hope this old man can make it.
meanwhile, the media and the lefties are doing everything they can to wrongfully morph the current geberation of Iraq GI's and Vets into perpetrators and victims, just as they did in the late 60's and early 70's........the very fact that an event like this makes many of you feel good is THE VERY REASON that the big picture of current media/lefty propagabda should be taken to task more vehemently.......if this is ignored now (by distractions such as this), you will find yourselves feeling good about events such as this regarding Iraq/etc Vets 30 years from now.
Just my opinion, now you may flame away....
"The biggest issue that Vietnam has served is to make sure our citizenry as well as our government never leave our troops behind again."
The best way to ensure that our government never leaves our troops behind again is to keep defeating the Democrats during our elections.
Another way several of us make amends is to FReep today's anti-war peaceniks at the Columbia and Jefferson City post offices (and other locations around the country). We do not want today's military personnel to suffer the same mistreatment that the Vietnam vets did. Passersby, friends and family of military personnel and the occassional supportive media-type spread our message of support to the guys/gals overseas, thus going around the mainstream media and their anti-American bias.
We can't change 5 minutes ago, but we can learn from our mistakes. Anyone who wants to thank all vets for their service, please join a FReep of the peaceniks in your area.
... and/or attend the Operation Homecoming in Branson this summer. (I'm only publicizing it; no affiliation.)
yeah, well pencil in your calendar for 30 years from now.
Let me try it another way.......if you were a GI in Iraq today (or already back from Iraq) and you saw this sort of hoopla about the distant past while you watched the lefties insisting you and those you served with were perps or victims (trust me, either or both pisses them off), how do you imagine that you would feel?
You're right, what's done is done.......but it is happening again......its just not being done so viciously and overtly....yet!
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