Indianapolis Welcomes Home Vietnam Vets

City gives Vietnam vets overdue welcome home

The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 19, 2008 11:46:05 EDT

INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of Vietnam War veterans and their family members filled the Indiana War Memorial auditorium Saturday for a long-overdue homecoming celebration.

A banner stating “The city of Indianapolis Welcomes Home Vietnam Veterans” was displayed outside the memorial, as the city held its first welcome-home celebration for the veterans. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a Marine veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, greeted guests before and after the ceremony.

“I thought it was important for the city to do it, so at least one municipality is saying, ‘Thanks for what you did,’” said Ballard, who spoke at the ceremony along with Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard.

Another Vietnam veteran, Olgen Williams, said it took years before he stopped feeling ashamed of his military service.

“For a long time we just didn’t talk about it,” said Williams, Indianapolis’ deputy mayor for neighborhoods. “I don’t think people understand how important saying ‘welcome home’ is. And maybe they will never understand, but it means everything to us.”

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_vietnamhomecoming_051908/

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15:13

This is what they were all willing to do. It didn't matter if they were drafted or enlisted. They were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their friends, their adopted brothers in arms. How could there be any shame in that? How could there be any shame in them?

Did they decide to go into Vietnam? Did they give the orders to mobilize men and women by the thousands, order the equipment, make the plans? No. They did none of the above. They all risked their lives in service to this nation, what this nation demanded of them, asked of them and in some cases, forced them to do. Where is the guilt in them? Were there some criminal acts? Absolutely, just as there are some now, but they are not all guilty because of the actions of a few.

It is time that they came home all the way. They need your help to do it. It takes more than just a few words. It takes action. Today as the focus is on the Afghanistan and Iraq wounded, the older veterans are being pushed back to make room for them. It's time this nation took care of all of our veterans equally. Call congress and thank them for being a part of this. If they voted against funding the VA and the GI Bill, ask them why they do not support the troops when they become veterans.

I had a very busy day Saturday. Part of it was spending time at the VA nursing home in Orlando. When we get a chance, a group of us go to the nursing home to play bingo with the patients. They are a great group of guys. They love the snacks and the gifts for hitting Bingo. One of my friends has been supplying the gifts and the snacks out of her own pocket. Her name is Diane Ringlund. We were part of Rolling Thunder before the chapter fell apart, but Diane, loves to do it so much, she doesn't want to give it up. One more thing she does, she supplies baskets for the homeless veterans with little personal things they need, again out of her own pocket. When it comes to our veterans, she never stops thinking about them. Diane is one of the unsung heroes doing whatever she can to let them know they are cared about. They can give her nothing in return but in her mind, they already gave her all they could. Now she wants to give back. I am so proud to call her my friend.

She has a daughter, also helping and doing what she can. Apryl also has a young son of 7. We went to get a bite to eat before we went to the nursing home. He was all excited to go and see the "Army guys" because to him, they are all Army guys. At the nursing home, he was giving out the prizes and Diane mentioned how they are all his heroes and "his Army guys" which didn't go over too big with the Marines but he said they were all his heroes.

When we were there, one volunteer came up to me and said he never knew there were female Chaplains. I had on my IFOC Chaplain shirt for a meeting I had to go to after the nursing home. One of the patients noticed it as well and began to talk to me of how he went to all kinds of different churches. I told him as a Chaplain, my church is all I come into contact with. While we were talking I discovered he was searching for something he didn't find. I saw him in the wheel chair and knew that was not his problem. The problem is, he was a wounded veteran in his body but also in his soul. He was searching for the love he once knew from God. I told him the story of the Roman centurion ( I know I tell it too often and my readers know it well, so no, I'm not going to repeat it now) his eyes filled up. He said he didn't know that. I then told him how Christ said there was no greater love than the willingness to lay down your life for your friends. He said he didn't know that either and then softly said, "bless you" but I already felt blessed just being there speaking with this wounded veteran.

If you live in Central Florida and see Diane Ringlund, know that you are looking at a woman who has dedicated her free time with her heart and thank her for serving those who served. This is a picture of her speaking at a Memorial Day service a couple of years ago.





Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos

International Fellowship of Chaplains

Namguardianangel@aol.com

http://www.namguardianangel.org/

http://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