Area Vietnam Vets at “The Wall” for 30th Anniversary
Area Vietnam Vets at “The Wall” for 30th Anniversary
By William Wilber
“Welcome Home!“ We all heard that numerous times here in Washington, D.C.
Everywhere, every day, during our time in the D.C. area, fellow vets continued to welcome each other home. “Welcome home” is the common greeting. We are not asked where we’re from, what service branch or unit, just those simple words that many vets never heard back in the Vietnam era. Strangers sought us out to thank us for our service, sometimes they came across a room to seek us out. To those of you who couldn’t make it to the Vietnam Memorial Wall (The Wall), this time, we all say, “Welcome Home”.
It needs to be noted that there are Vietnam (era) Veterans who dodged bullets and those who didn’t. The ones who dodged bullets welcome the ones who didn’t with open arms.
Vietnam era vets see the Vietnam ribbon colors on a shirt, hat or coat and “we know”. Even though the hair is sometimes gone and what’s left is gray we can spot each other. Some of us have more “ballast” than back then but there’s the same old wit and humor. We talk and trade stories, some of them are even true.
