Vietnam Veterans Day with Traveling Wall

Vietnam Veteran's Day

It was great timing for the Vietnam Veterans who live in the Northland. A traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial made a stop at Ironworld, just in time for their big day.

"We felt we were doing the right thing," said Bob Sieler, a Vietnam Veteran who says he was not welcomed home from the war. "And finally people are recognizing veterans for what we do."

Crowds of veterans came to the wall to pay their respects to their fallen brothers, and for the first time, they were able to wish each other a "Happy Veteran's Day."

Inside, at the Ironworld theater, Representative Larry Howes spoke about why he wrote the bill in the first place.

"They've never been thanked or welcomed home," he said. "I think everyone I talked to said, 'It's about time.'"

Major General Eugene Andreotti also spoke to the crowd, personally thanking the veterans.

"To the Vietnam Veterans," he said, "They are, you are, all heroes."

One veteran said he didn't have big plans to celebrate the day. He was just happy to see a formal day of acknowledgement.

"We just want to see the country in a positive way, and this is a great first step for the veterans," said Victor Zupanicich, another Vietnam Veteran.

The traveling replica of the memorial wall will be at Ironworld until Monday morning at eight am. It is open 24 hours a day.
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Some went willingly, some were forced to go with the draft, yes, just like Korea and WWII. Some agreed, some didn't. What happened was that they ended up fighting for each other. They followed their orders to take the hill and then give the hill up only to loose brothers and then have to take it back all over again. Fighting for each other. That's something the Patriots and the Founding Fathers knew all too well. Those who are sent to fight in the wars the politicians pick have no say in what, when, where or how. They go. If you've been watching HBO's John Adams, I'm sure you are getting a bit of a history lesson in case you forgot what you learned in school. They do it for each other and because the politicians said it was necessary for the nation.

It's the job of the rest of us to honor them and to hold the politicians accountable for what they do, where they send them, if they provide the proper equipment and plans and if they take care of them or not when they come home. Think of how rare the combat veterans are to us. Think of what this nation would be if men and women were not willing to serve to defend it. That's what this all boils down to. If they get used by the government, it's up to us to hold them accountable for the sake of those risking their lives. But no matter how we feel about the reasons why they went, we cannot act as if they are of any lesser value than a Patriot.

I am very proud of this country, not the government at the moment but of the people of this country. We learned one lesson very well. That you do not take out anything on those who serve this nation. Both sides support them, they to help them and do what we can for them. We all hold them in our prayers. The only regret I have is that those doing the most screaming of "support the troops" are the first ones to not be doing it when they need us. We need to do so much more for the wounded than we are doing and for the families. Let's support all of them for real when it really matters to them.

Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Namguardianangel.blogspot.com
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation."

- George Washington