Thousands gather for Veterans Family Reunion

Thousands gather for Veterans Family Reunion

WICHITA, Kansas – Twenty-two years ago a group of Vietnam veterans got together. They called friends, who called more friends, and started what was known as the Vietnam Veterans Family Reunion. That event has now evolved to include veterans of all wars and is bigger than ever.

Thousands of military veterans and their families are gathering at El Dorado Lake this weekend for the 22nd Annual Veterans Family Reunion.

“While the reunion was started for veterans and their families, I like to use the word patriots -- those that support our military and its veterans, so that's what this event is for -- for our veterans and the patriots,” said Lance McCune, president of the Veterans Family Reunion.

The event was started by Vietnam vets, but has now expanded to include veterans of a new war.

“I started talking to them and found out the things I went through and experienced in Iraq were some of the exact same things they experience in Vietnam,” McCune said.

It’s a meeting of the old and the new – an opportunity to pass on experience and knowledge to a younger generation of war veterans.

“And telling them, ‘you're not alone,’” said Everett Thompson, a Vietnam veteran. “Yeah we're 30 or 40 years older than you are, but what you went through is the same thing we went through. The only difference is years.”
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Thousands gather for Veterans Family Reunion