Ohio town to toast Vietnam veterans
NOV. 11 | Unpopular war's troops honored at last
SHELBY, Ohio -- The floor of VFW Post 291 has been scuffed by the shoes and boots of veterans who fought in wars going back nearly a century, to World War I.
The setting is a comfort for Willis Cochran, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.
But his jaw tightens and face darkens as he remembers what happened when he returned to his hometown of Bainbridge, Ga., 43 years ago.
"I was treated like trash. I tell you what hurt the worst was when the old woman spit on me," said Cochran, 62.
Some around the country are trying to make amends, to honor the veterans of that controversial war.
As Veterans Day approaches Nov. 11, this small northern Ohio city is hosting a parade today exclusively to honor Vietnam vets. Leading the procession will be a horse-drawn wagon bearing a flag-draped coffin in memory of those killed in that war.
At least two F-16 Air National Guard fighter jets will fly over and three high school bands will march down Main Street, past storefront windows painted with "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans."
Vietnam vets have been honored in recent years, with a welcome home parade in Las Vegas and a homecoming celebration in Indianapolis. Minnesota has designated a Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29 each year.
Experts say the warmup is being fed by the outpouring of support for current veterans that provokes a tinge of guilt and regret over how Vietnam veterans were treated.
More than 3 million Americans served in Vietnam, and more than 58,000 were killed. About 5,200 Americans have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, where 184,000 troops are now deployed.
The war in Vietnam was highly unpopular in some quarters. Protesters were alarmed by the rising number of U.S. casualties and worried that the nation was mired in an unwinnable war. The war ended in 1973.
Veterans' reception then -- from being ignored to being attacked -- is in stark contrast to what soldiers find now when they return home.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Colorado Springs and filled a stadium in Indianapolis this year to welcome veterans back from Iraq. Volunteers welcome returning veterans daily at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, giving them standing ovations and buying their meals. AP