US honors its military on Veterans Day

A second World War, one United Nations “Police Action” in Korea and 35 years later, the November 11 observance was renamed Veterans Day. “Greeting them were Vietnam veterans who wanted to hear the cheering that others were getting that they never had”.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day was first declared in 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower to honor all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served the nation.

“Thank you to all the veterans out there for your sacrifice, we appreciate so much of what you do and I hope you all have a good day”. The Vietnam veterans’ stories need to be told; Gulf war veterans’ stories need to be told. Holding American flags, spectators lined the streets near Laurel Canyon and San Fernando Mission boulevards in Mission Hills and cheered both the parade participants and the veterans in the crowd.

“When most of us Vietnam vets were sent home we were sent home individually”, Dillen said.

They say coming to the wall and seeing the long list of names brings back memories about how they were treated when they returned from war.

For a large contingent of Vietnam Veterans, it’s a ceremony they’ve waited decades to see.

They paid tribute to veterans from past wars and those returning from recent conflicts. Those who are still alive will be thanked and celebrated by businesses and events around the country. It marks 50 years since the Vietnam War and the local community used this Veterans Day to honor their contribution to the lives we live today. “It’s nice that we are recognized for the things that we do because when I came home, I got spat upon”.

“Today’s incredibly significant. It’s a wonderful time to pause and reflect and honor those who served in the past and who are still serving in defense of our freedom”, said Lt. Seph Coats, 41, who’s been in the navy for the past 18 years.

“We want to honor the military personnel who keep us safe every day, without them we wouldn’t have our free country, so we try to support them in any way that we can”, Whitmire said.