HONORING VETERANS

A Long Overdue Welcome for Vietnam Veterans March 15, 2012 by Alex Horton It has been more than three decades since my uncle came home from his tour in Vietnam, but he wore the battle on his face for many years. Even when I was little, I understood the man in my family who walked jungle trails as a Marine grunt was different from my other relatives. He didn’t talk about his experiences much, to the detriment of our family and our history. My uncle’s story is hardly unique among Vietnam Veterans, and the less than welcoming reception from the public played a role in how comfortable many were in speaking about his experiences. As the Marine Corps blog noted, Vietnam Veterans never received a welcome fit for their honor and sacrifice. Last year, the Senate recognized March 30 as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” to right the wrongs of our past. State and local governments are holding their own events in a long overdue motion of support. This year, the USO is organizin...

Veteran recalls battle leading to Medal of Honor Release No. 09-13-10 Sept. 22, 2010 Veteran recalls battle leading to Medal of Honor By Senior Master Sgt. David Byron Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- In 1968, a battle raged where heroes arose only to be unacknowledged for 18 years. Proper recognition occurred during a White House ceremony Sept. 21 when Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after saving three of his men in a battle that failed to make headlines at the time because of its then-highly classified nature. Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Daniel was one of the Airmen Chief Etchberger saved during the battle at the Lima 85 radar site. The mission, named Heavy Green, was to provide radar information and assistance to U.S. aircraft bombing military targets in Hanoi, Vietnam, its surrounding areas and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The radar site, located on a hilltop in Laos, was not...