NAS Fort Worth, White Settlement welcome home Vietnam War veterans

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Samantha Mathison
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  Nearly three thousand veterans, families and friends attend the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration 'Welcome Home' event held Aug. 1 at Veterans Park in White Settlement, Texas.

NAS Fort Worth JRB and the city of White Settlement co-hosted the event, which included a parade, information booths, static displays, food, music, and an official ceremony with special guest speakers to honor and give Vietnam War veterans the welcome home they deserved.

The event's theme was "Welcome home - It's never too late to pay tribute to the men and women who answered the call of duty with courage and valor."

One attendee answered the call when he was only 19 years old. Robert Garcia, a retired Fort Worth, Texas, firefighter and Vietnam veteran, said when he came home [from Vietnam] there was so much animosity towards soldiers that for years he did not speak of his experiences.

"If I'd known what it was going to be like, I wouldn't have come home," Garcia said.

Garcia, who wore a brand new Vietnam War veteran's baseball cap, watched the parade and spoke with fellow war veterans. Afterwards, he said, "People genuinely wanted to welcome us home."

The parade comprised of veteran support groups, veterans, and current military members who rode in classic cars and floats, waved flags and handed out candy to children.  Leading the way in the parade was the Patriot Guard Riders, a national organization whose members attend funerals to honor fallen soldiers and veterans as well as serve as a shield to protect families from protestors.

Rick Crabb, a ride captain with the North Texas Patriot Guard Riders and veteran, attended the event to meet and thank Vietnam veterans.

"What we do is critically important to the families, but it's also very important to us. Events like today give us an opportunity to come out, see the public, explain who we are, what we do, encourage them to join us and just celebrate our Vietnam veterans" Crabb said. "We're so glad they made it home."

An official ceremony followed the parade to recognize and honor the veterans and to remember those who never came back.

Navy Capt.Gil Miller, NAS Fort Worth JRB commander, led the official ceremony and recognized the war veterans' influence on the lives of military members today.

"They have demonstrated to my generation what leadership is all about and they have ensured that my generation doesn't encounter anything like the greeting they got when they came home," Miller said.

The ceremony began with five guest speakers who conveyed a little of their personal experiences during the war.

"Because we were shunned we made a promise that never again would one generation of veterans turn its back on another," said Dr. Linda Schwartz, assistant secretary for policy and planning for the U.S. Veterans Administration and one of the event's guest speakers. "And we have made good on that pledge."

Beverly Balentine, attendee and friend of Vietnam veterans, believed that this was a long time coming.

"They have just been super excited about this, knowing that they are finally being recognized," she said. "Everybody who has served their country needs that recognition."