City to honor Vietnam vets
Published 4:36 pm Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Joining for Monday’s proclamation signing were: front row, left to right, council member Cornell Torrence and VFW Ladies Auxiliary members Kathy Blackburn, Becky Ray, Arlene Delafosse, Debbie Thorton, Jenny Hutto, Gayle Johnson and Ginger Stabler; middle row, left to right, veterans Danny Ray (decorated Vietnam War vet), Charles “Sug” Thorton (decorated Vietnam War vet), Jimmy Beck (Vietnam War vet), Grady Slay and Billy Gates; back row, left to right, city council members Webb Nall, Chris Harrison and Susan Smith, Mayor Jim Staff, and city council member Chris Walker.
The city of Atmore will officially recognize Vietnam War veterans in March, after signing a proclamation declaring March 29 as “Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day.”
Mayor Jim Staff signed the proclamation during Monday’s meeting of the Atmore City Council, surrounded by Vietnam War veterans, other veterans, and members of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7016.
Ladies Auxiliary members explained that the idea behind the special day originated after seeing the way veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq were welcomed home after their tours of duty, with parades and fanfare. They noted that Vietnam War veterans did not get a similar welcome, and often received just the opposite — scorn and derision because of their role in a war that was often seen as unpopular at the time.
The proclamation’s words also describe this concern:
“Whereas, our veterans answered our country’s call and served with honor, and on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam. Yet, in one of the war’s most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected — to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example.
“We must never let this happen again. Today, we reaffirm one of our most fundamental obligations: to show all who have worn the uniform of the United States the respect and dignity they deserve, and to honor their sacrifice by serving them as well as they served us.
“Half a century after those helicopters swept off the ground and into the annals of history, we pay tribute to the fallen, the missing, the wounded, the millions who served, and the millions more who awaited their return. Our nation stands stronger for their service, and on Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day, we honor their proud legacy with our deepest gratitude.
“Now, therefore, I Jim Staff, mayor of the city of Atmore … do hereby proclaim March 29, 2014, as Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day in the city of Atmore. I call upon all citizens of Atmore and surrounding communities to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
