Belated honor: This weekend's gathering in Charlotte chance to say thank you

There will be an estimated 61,000 Vietnam veterans in Charlotte this weekend.

They will be there for fellowship and a good time -- but they will also receive something that is long overdue: a large-scale hero's welcome and thank you from the country they served decades ago.

Today, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are welcomed home with flags, signs and hugs. They are thanked for their service and honored for their bravery.

And while Vietnam veterans received medals for their service, many of them faced a whole different kind of homecoming.

That is, until this weekend.

There are thousands of service members across North Carolina who served in some form during the Vietnam years. They fought for their country and are as much caretakers of this nation's freedoms as the men and women who serve today. And some of them are still suffering from the effects of that service.

So, like the students at Spring Creek Elementary, we should remember them this weekend and celebrate with them the freedom and courage this nation's flag represents as we vow to make sure we always remember our veterans.

That is our duty.

Published in Editorials on March 29, 2012 10:55 AM