7 days ago
Wiregrass veterans tour war monuments in the nation's capital
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDHN) — Several Wiregrass veterans had the chance to visit the nation's capital to see the monuments that honor the sacrifices made by our troops overseas.
Funded and orchestrated by Wiregrass Honor Flights, these veterans were able to visit the Arlington National Cemetery, where they watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
There, our local veterans were celebrated and thanked by other visitors for their service.
After that, the group toured the World War II memorials and the Vietnam Remembrance Wall.
Many of these vets served overseas in Vietnam and Korea, making this part of the trip rather personal.
Robert Anderson, a retired Vietnam Army Pilot, saw the names of his friends who were killed in battle, a moment of nostalgia and sadness. Anderson recollected those men, including one with whom he had roomed.
'I hated to see him go, we lost another buddy about two weeks later in combat there. You always wondered, and being this close, I wanted to get a trace and see this wall because I know all of these folks gave a great sacrifice to be on this wall, even though you'd rather they weren't.'
Afterward, the trip ended at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington. There, the veterans were treated to a special performance from the Air Force Honor Guard Drill team.
Followed by a meet and greet with that drill team.
For many Vietnam veterans, returning to the United States after their tour was a battle of its own; those soldiers returned home to find that some Americans didn't view them as heroes.
Some of those soldiers were spit on or yelled at, due to the visceral response to a war that had become a nationwide political issue.
But Wednesday's trip was solely about honoring the sacrifice they made for our country decades ago.
'After the way I was treated when I came back from Vietnam, this day has been wonderful. I just can't believe people are so nice, it makes me feel very good,' said Army Veteran Lonnie Daniels.
Our veterans then returned to the Wiregrass Wednesday night, welcomed home with a ceremony at the Daleville Cultural Arts and Convention Center.
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