A hero's welcome is never too late
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on November 6, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Army veteran David Bennett gets a reassuring pat on the back from John Gerken, whose father, Howard, served in the Air Force, after becoming emotional while Vietnam veterans and their family members spoke during the Project Respect dinner at Pleasant Grove Free Will Baptist Church Saturday night.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Miss Spivey's Corner Karen Stallings sings the national anthem Saturday night to kick off the Project Respect dinner.
Sometimes, all it takes to help heal old wounds is a showing of respect.
For the Vietnam-era veterans in attendance at Project Respect Saturday night, that was exactly what they got.
Hosted by local dance studio owner Desiree Autrey at Pikeville-Pleasant Grove Free Will Baptist Church, the event invited Vietnam-era veterans to enjoy dinner and a show in honor of their service and sacrifice.
Around 25 such veterans attended the event. After the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base color guard presented the colors, the veterans walked on stage, shoulder-to-shoulder, to introduce themselves. They came from as far away as California and as near as Wayne County, and had served mostly in the Air Force and Army. Some had served for decades, others served a few years before returning home.
For the purposes of the night, that did not matter. In the words of Autrey, "all veterans should be honored every day of the week."
The show consisted of six individual performances from local pageant queens and other community members. First up was Blaire Sarvis, the 2017 Pickle Princess, who performed a solo dance number, followed by a country tune from Scottie Hines. Katie and Karen Stallings each performed songs, followed by Barry Stallings and a final lyrical dance piece by Crystal Hodges.
Once the performances ended, it was time to eat. As the line formed, Vietnam veteran David Bennett gave his account of the night. He had become briefly emotional during his introduction, noting that he had been lucky to "come out in one piece" from his time in Vietnam.
"Everything came rushing back," he said. "I was young and dumb, and I didn't understand until later how close to dying I came."
Since his time in Vietnam, Bennett has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He began to tear up as he talked about his time overseas, and the feelings he gets from events like Project Respect.
"This is great, it's a good reminder that people still remember, they still care," he said. "It feels better now, to see people still care."