Knee Deep in the Hooah!

The State of Tennessee has declared March 29 “Vietnam Veterans Day” and this weekend was the first celebration of our new State holiday. I was not able to attend any of the festivities happening in Crossville (where the first celebration was sponsored) due to a sick toddler and a very busy family schedule, but from what I have read it sounds like it was celebrated well.

While watching the local news this morning I saw parades, confetti, flags, bands, and the “welcome home” celebration that these Veteran’s did not get when they came home from the Vietnam War. A reporter asked one of the young children in attendance if she knew why she was there, and the child said “When the Veterans came home they were treated badly, so we are treating them the right way now!” The statement was poignant and right on track.

Continue reading below to hear how one Veteran fought for this day, and now other states are taking up the challenge to declare March 29 as their own day to celebrate our Vietnam Veterans. The following news excerpts are taken from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

After suffering through name-calling in the early 1970s, and then the years of denial that followed, Roger Rahor finally is ready to own up to his Vietnam veteran status with pride.

The Signal Mountain resident plans to march as a veteran for the first time on Saturday, which marks a first for Tennessee and the nation: the first official Vietnam Veterans Day.

…

“When we came home, not only did we not get a welcome, but we were mistreated,” said Mr. Dunham, who recalls being called a “baby killer” upon his return from the combat zone. “A lot of veterans couldn’t get past it.”

So Mr. Dunham, who was deployed with the Coast Guard, has been working since February 2007 to petition for the new holiday. He got his wish in May 2007, when Gov. Phil Bredesen signed a proclamation declaring March 29, 2008 — exactly 35 years after the country’s last 2,500 troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam — Vietnam Veterans Day.

The proclamation was the first of its kind in the nation, said Mr. Dunham, adding that since then it has spurred a national movement as efforts have been launched in 26 other states to enact similar measures.

…

“It’s through their service that we are reminded once more that to each generation falls the duty of spreading liberty, of protecting democracy and of safeguarding our security,” the governor said during a Veterans Day ceremony last November.

The Proclamation that Governor Bredesen signed to acknowledge the day officially is worded as follows:

WHEREAS, thirty five years ago, on March 29, 1973, the last 2,500 troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam thus ending military involvement in what is now the longest war in our country’s history, and

WHEREAS, it is important and appropriate to honor the men and women who survived and the 58,195 brave souls who fought and died, were never given the respect and gratitude they deserved for serving their country, and

WHEREAS, 1,293 of the names listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall are from the Great State of Tennessee, let us honor their memory and thank them for their unselfish devotion to duty.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Phil Bredesen, Governor of the state Tennessee, do hereby proclaim March 29, 2008 as

VIETNAM VETERANS DAY
in Tennessee and encourage all citizens to join me in this worthy observance.

…

Mr. Dunham said he expects from 50,000 to 100,000 veterans to attend, more than 600 of them from the Chattanooga area. Some will travel from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii, and one from Australia, he said.

…

Charlie Hobbs, president of the Chattanooga chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America — the largest chapter in Tennessee and third largest in the country — is leading a bus and four trailers to the event. Chapter members plan to set up their Tennessee Vietnam Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to the 1,291 Tennesseans killed in action in Vietnam.

“We’ve got a bond that won’t ever be broken,” Mr. Hobbs said. “Our founding principle is that never again will a generation of veterans abandon another.”

…

“This is going to be the most patriotic thing Tennessee has ever seen,” he said.

Believe me, Tennessee has a bend toward being pretty patriotic as it is, but I can only imagine how beautiful it must have been to see these Veterans, our sons and daughters, finally given the welcome home they deserved 35-years ago. Our Vietnam Veterans fought hard, lost many and came home to face the same! They did not come home and rest, they came home, fought hard and have lost many to the home front battle. I pray that as a Nation we will never allow another Veteran’s mistreatment to go unchallenged. We should always remember Coolidge’s words, that “A Nation which forgets its Defenders will itself be forgotten.”

There are currently other states on board. Here is a list I found on TN City Data page… is your state listed? If not, find out why! This list was posted in December of last year:

The following states are now in the process of going for proclamations making March 29th Vietnam Veterans Day.
Tennessee (the first to celebrate)
Alaska
Arkansas
Arizona
Connecticut
Georgia
Iowa
Indiana
Minnesota
Missouri
Mississippi
Montana
North Carolina
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Texas
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Tags: American Flag, Army, Army Mom Posts, Army Wife Posts, Morale, Troop appreciation, combat, communication, deployment, history, holidays, memorial, military, politics, veterans, well wishes //