National Operation Welcome Home

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Operation Welcome Home

Dear Operation Welcome Home Founders,
     You might not know who I am, but in Las Vegas I marched behind you at the Operation Welcome Home parade. I also wrote a short note (saying) "thank you
for bringing me home." You told me that it was getting kind of emotional for you, listening to others, looking into their faces and seeing the depth of their feelings.
     I am still talking about the celebration. The guys at work are a bit jealous but
they understand that it was way overdue. During the parade a 101st Airborne Div. soldier started out fine but as we went further on the route his eyes got glassy. I looked at him and told him everything would be alright from this day forward...and
that he was home. His wife walked with him for support and the love was still there. She knew in her heart that it had been too long and watching her walk with him in
the parade...man...I cried with him!
     I want you to share with others what people told you during the celebration. Do whatever it takes to get the word out. Use my name and know that I am speaking
from the heart. I cried when I got home and talked to my wife about all the things
that I participated in. I told her to wear the WELCOME HOME pin proudly and when they ask her about it "you tell them that after 33 years your husband finally got to come home. Proud and with his head held high. Not a hero, but a soldier who did his duty and
got recognized for it. It may be a bit late, but he is HOME."
     Thank you again for all you did.
     John Daily, Enid, OK

The celebration was inspired by the life-affirming Vietnam memoir, Naked In Da Nang (Zenith Press 2004) by Mike Jackson (Lt. Col. USAF, Ret) and Tara Dixon-Engel. While working on the book in 2001 the authors began building the concept for a national day of celebration for Vietnam veterans. As the book evolved, so did the duo's dream of a long-overdue tribute to the men and women who served in Southeast Asia.

"We originally envisioned a one-time event but it has become "the celebration that won't end"— "and that's fantastic because it means that people are being healed," Jackson said. "The great part is that once you have experienced that kind of healing, you want to share it with others!"

Jackson and Dixon-Engel spoke to groups, large and small, across America during 2005 and 2006, promoting the OWH concept and the importance of saying "Welcome Home" to all soldiers: past, present, and future. Throughout 2005 and into 2006 communities across America have been holding Operation Welcome Home events.

The two biggest events have been held in Las Vegas, NV (Veterans Day 2005) and the Antelope Valley of California (Veterans Day 2006). The state of Indiana has now stepped up to announce that Auburn, IN will host a huge Operation Welcome Home, midwest-style, over the Fourth of July in 2008. Be sure and check these pages soon for information on accommodations, related events, and sponsorships. The Indiana celebration promises to be one of the biggest and best yet. Let's let ALL our Vietnam veterans know that we appreciate their service and sacrifice...and it is time to come home!

A. Because we didn't do it when we should have! The OWH celebrations held in
2005 proved that it is never too late to right a wrong and change a life! America was divided in the 70s, distracted in the 80s and disinterested in the 90s. But our nation today has a different attitude, one softened by the passage of time and new perspectives. Most Americans now understand that soldiers don't start wars, they simply answer their nation's call to duty. We see that nobody dislikes war more
than the guy who has to fight it - and we can finally gaze backward in time and understand that the young people who headed off to Southeast Asia were no
different than those who shipped out for Europe or the Pacific in 1943 or those who headed to Korea in the early 50s or to Iraq in 1991 or 2003.

A. Operation Welcome Home is designed to celebrate ANYONE who served in Southeast Asia - all branches of the military and all support personnel: male, female, soldiers, sailors, airmen, doctors, nurses, media - all those who answered their nation's call. In addition to celebrating their service in Southeast Asia, we also wish
to draw attention to how they have contributed to society since returning home!
The great myth in American society is that of the burned-out, detached and delusional Vietnam veteran. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most Vietnam veterans are active, involved and productive people who are community leaders and contributing members of society! In fact, they are statistically more successful than other
segments of the powerful, much-vaunted "Baby Boom" generation.

A. First and foremost...THANK A VETERAN. Make it a point to engage and appreciate
a Vietnam veteran. But also remember to thank the folks who served in WW II,
Korea, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and every other place and time in between! To promote, support or donate to the 2008 Indiana event, please keep checking this page for sponsorship information or simply contact us at CelebrateVets -- and be sure to pass the site along to family and friends. Talk to people in your community about holding your own Operation Welcome Home event. Contact us at CelebrateVets for information on getting started!

A. Quite simply because no one else really ever did! When our soldiers returned
from Southeast Asia, they were warned to remove their uniforms before passing through the airport terminal - or be prepared to deal with the taunts of protesters. Later, they were advised to remove their tour of duty from resumes and professional documents, lest they be perceived as unstable or haunted. Thousands of young
men and women returned to the states with vivid stories and memories...but no one wanted to hear them. After over 15 years of involvement in Vietnam, the public
wanted to forget. Unfortunately, in our attempt to forget Vietnam, we also forgot
to thank all those who served there with honor and courage.

A. No. "The Wall" rightfully honors the sacrifice of those who gave ALL. Operation Welcome Home acknowledges those who returned home — but returned home to a country at war with itself. Operation Welcome Home also acknowledges the powerful legacy of the Vietnam veteran. Although popular culture has often portrayed veterans of Southeast Asia as unstable and anti-social, the reality is far different. Vietnam vets are fathers, sons, husbands, brothers — and, yes, also wives, mothers and sisters. They are your neighbor, your banker, your lawyer, your congressman, your doctor, your friend. They have enriched American society tremendously...and continue to do so.

The photos, above right, are from the Las Vegas OWH event in 2005. They include pictures from the Veterans' Day Parade (#1) that
lasted over 2 1/2 hours and featured over 3,500 individuals and 170 units. Well-wishers packed the streets of Vegas, often 20-deep, to
finally say thank you to a generation of brave Americans. Purple Heart recipients participated in the parade (#2). The Paiute Nation held
a Native American Pow-wow honoring veterans and performed a moving ceremony at the Vietnam Wall replica (#3). Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman encouraged the crowd along the parade route (#4). Actress Ann-Margret once again honored "her gentlemen" (#5).
She thanked Mike Jackson for his vision and accepted a complimentary copy of the book that started it all. Vietnam veteran Ray Santana (#6) was so moved by the experience, he returned home with fellow veteran Gary Chapman and began planning for the Antelope Valley Operation Welcome Home (www.AVWelcomeHome.com). The "greatest generation" got into the act (#7) as a WW II veteran handed
out flags to the patriotic crowd. After the parade, National Chairmen Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel amused "the troops" (and
their families) during a lively rally on Las Vegas' famed Fremont Street (#8).