Sunday, March 28, 2010

Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City

Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
By: Ruschell Boone



Some Vietnam veterans got a special welcome home Saturday in honor of Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.

George Raboni was 17 years old when he went to war in Vietnam. When he returned home three years later, Raboni like so many of the veterans who gathered Saturday for a celebration to mark their service, thought he would get a hero's welcome but that was not the case.

There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country," Raboni recalled.

The thank yous were slow to come because the war was unpopular, but on Saturday area veterans were recognized for their service at the Inaugural Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.

"We had pride in ourselves and what we did to serve this country but now it is greatly appreciated that the country has come to recognize the service," Raboni said.

"This is the first day that officially by the city government and state government that they are honoring the Vietnam veterans -- long overdue," Patrick Gualtieri of United War Veterans.

For many, the event at Veteran's Plaza in Downtown Manhattan was bittersweet.

"I think we've changed the structure so that people today understand how to separate the war from the warriors and that the veterans coming home, the men and women we see coming out of the military today are hopefully going to get treatments and programs that they need," said Vietnam Veterans of America President John Rowan.

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Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City

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