Lancaster -- They marched wearing parts of their uniforms…hats, jackets, medals…anything that didn't fit too snugly. They marched in blue jeans. They marched in crisply creased Dockers and polo shirts. But whatever they wore as individuals, as a group they wore pride, gratitude and just a hint of relief.
The Vietnam veterans who marched in the Veterans Day Operation Welcome Home parade in Lancaster, CA were finally treated to the long-missing part of their service to country - a triumphant homecoming. The Nov. 11 parade included over 100 units, an F-117 flyover and two of the remaining World War II Navajo Code talkers, who made a 1,000 mile journey against doctors' orders in order to show support for their Vietnam brethren. The celebration gained the endorsement of everyone from the Pentagon to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The parade on Lancaster Boulevard started at 9 a.m. with flyovers by an F-117 stealth fighter and a UH-1B Huey helicopter.
The event attracted major sponsorships, with Antelope Valley lawmakers George and Sharon Runner taking the lead in contributions, along with the Greater Antelope Valley Association of Realtors, High Desert Broadcasting, Time Warner Cable, Mario's Music and Financial Risk Management, Inc. The AV event was chaired by local residents Gary Chapman and Ray Santana, themselves Vietnam veterans, and their wives Ingrid and Linda. Chapman and Santana had attended the 2005 Operation Welcome Home event in Las Vegas and were so overwhelmed by the outpouring of gratitude that they decided to host a celebration in their own area. In the process, they contacted the national OWH organizers Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel, who eagerly endorsed the celebration and offered their support. The Ohio-based duo marched in the parade.
During a speech following the parade Dixon-Engel told the enthusiastic crowd that "the Las Vegas event gave 'Operation Welcome Home' its feet, but the Antelope Valley gave it its heart!" She added that it was time, once and for all, to dispel "the myth of the Vietnam veteran." "Popular culture has perpetuated an unsavory picture that just isn't true. These men are our brothers, fathers, husbands, and friends. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, musicians and artists. They have made meaningful contributions to society and it is damn well time we said 'thank you.'"
Jackson brought the multitude of veterans and citizens to their feet with wild applause as he admonished "to any politicians in the crowd…and I know you're out there…I ask you to never again commit our troops to combat and then interfere with their ability to win!" The retired Air Force officer went on to describe the soldiers of Vietnam as "good guys who did the right thing when it wasn't very popular."
The following web sites are helping veterans, supporting our military, and/or spreading the word about Operation Welcome Home. Lots of great info and well worth a second, third or fourth look!
www.gsaproposal.com
Keynote speaker Col. H. Brent Baker Sr., Commander of the 95th Air Base Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, explained the significance of Veterans Day by observing that "Freedom isn't free. … Ask a veteran who stormed Omaha Beach in World War II, who almost froze on Korea's Chosin Reservoir, who slogged through the steaming Mekong Delta in Vietnam, who chased the Republican Guard all the way back to Baghdad or who is still fighting al-Qaeda insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq. These people can tell you the meaning of freedom."
Later in the ceremony, 14-year old Jacob Nelson delivered an emotional rendition of the song "The 8th of November" as a tribute to the assembled veterans. Following the main events, a USO-style show featured Edd Freeman of the Drifters and gave the crowd something to tap its toes to. Meanwhile, at the other end of the long parking lot north of Boeing Plaza, volunteers at Grace Resource Center served dinner and offered free haircuts to veterans as part of the "Operation Welcome Home" Stand Down.
Keep an eye on this web site to find out more about the big Operation Welcome Home celebration being planned for Auburn, Indiana in July 2008! This could be the biggest one yet...and we want everyone to be there! If your community is hosting an Operation Welcome Home event for America’s Vietnam Veterans, please let us know so we can promote it on this web site!
At right & bottom, the wonderful Antelope Valley Operation Welcome Home celebration through the camera lens of a variety of photographers including Ray & Linda Santana, Ingrid Chapman, Liz Breault and many others. Beginning top right, Photo 1: The Boeing Plaza in Lancaster was packed solid after a hugely successful two hour parade; Photo 2: Some veterans came in uniform, some came in blue jeans, some in khakis...but all wore their pride; Photo 3: Kate LaCroix participated in a Huey flyover in honor of her father, 1st Lt. William Terry Allen, who was killed in action December 4, 1967; Photo 4: Antelope valley OWH Co-Chairman Gary Chapman hugs his wife Ingrid, who operates Chapman Communications and was instrumental in publicity for the event; Photo 5: Antelope Valley OWH Co-Chairman Ray Santana stands at the podium with wife Linda Santana, who worked closely with Ray on publicity and photography for the celebration; Photo 6: One of over 20 bands that gave the parade its soaring sounds; Photo 7: the Vietnam veterans who marched were ecstatic at the crowd reaction...the cheers, the ‘thank yous’ and the heartfelt ‘welcome homes!’; Photo 8: Those currently in uniform lined up to offer their gratitude to those who came before; Photo 9: Ray Santana (L) and Gary Chapman (Center) stand with Cliff Bart, Commander of VFW Post 3000 in Lancaster, which co-sponsored the celebration. Photo 10: Two of the surviving Navajo Code Talkers of World War II showed their solidarity with their Vietnam brethren by traveling over 1,000 miles (against their doctors’ orders) to honor the men and women who served in Southeast Asia. Photo 11: Warriors from all walks of life honored each other and all who serve. Photo 12: All ages turned out for the event, as the Young Marines pose with National Co-Chairmen Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel. Photo 13: The streets were strewn with rose petals for the veterans. National Chairman Mike Jackson was captivated by the “petal girls,” Isabelle Decker and Makana Smith. Here Jackson poses with Makana, granddaughter of AV chairman Ray Santana. Photo 14: Parade watchers at the end of the route applaud and await the honored veterans. Photo 15: Antelope Valley organizers Ray Santana (L in black) and Gary Chapman (Center) look on as Tara Dixon-Engel and Mike Jackson express their gratitude to the California veterans for their vision and effort.
