Photo By Sgt. Crystal Reidy | Roger Pollard, an officer with the military advisory command – Vietnam, speaks with...... read more read more
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PHOENIX – Arizona National Guard Soldiers attended a welcome home event for Vietnam-era veterans at the Arizona Wing Commemorative Air Force Museum in Mesa, Nov. 8.
The Soldiers from the Medical Hold Detachment welcomed these veterans 50 years after the first United States combat military unit engaged in a combat role in Vietnam.
“We are happy to come out and support our fellow veterans,” said Sgt. 1st Class Amber Larussa, detachment sergeant for MHD. “Some of our Soldiers in MHD can’t do traditional military training so this is nice to come out and be productive in the community.”
Featured speakers included author Mark Berent, a combat pilot in SE Asia and author, Roger Parrish, a combat pilot in Vietnam and two-time flight leader of the United States Air Force demonstration team the Thunderbirds, and Roger Pollard from the Arizona Wall Project.
“Vietnam era veterans endured a long war, the loss of battle buddies and then came home to an ungrateful nation,” said Pollard, an officer with the military advisory command – Vietnam.
Pollard said Soldiers either returned home to protests and hecklers or to complete apathy and refusal to acknowledge the war. Many service members were advised to change into civilian clothes to avoid the negativity.
Pollard returned to the U.S. in December, 1971, and remembers the flight into Travis Air Force Base in a plane full of service members returning from Vietnam.
“The pilot came on the speaker and said we were one hour out from landing and he suggested we change out of our uniforms and into civilian clothes because protestors were at the gate,” Pollard said.
"Now even though Vietnam era veterans were not treated with respect when they arrived home, they have insured troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan are treated better than they were treated. I want to make sure when veterans come home today they are treated with the dignity and respect we were not afforded.”
| Date Taken: | 11.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2015 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 181629 |
| Location: | PHOENIX, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 448 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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