• Friday-What'sUP October 20 - 12:53 pm

Back in March, 2011, the U.S. Senate declared March 30th, to be known as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day". This day is set aside to give our Vietnam Veterans a warm, welcome home, that has been long overdue and is our country's way of saying thank you to these Vets who weren't properly thanked when they were coming home from serving during the Vietnam War. The date of March 30th was chosen, because it was on March 30, 1973, when all the U.S. Troops withdrew from Vietnam, under the terms of the treaty of Paris.

Today's photos are very fitting for this day, honoring our Vietnam Vets. It was taken by Bob Gilreath, when his family's spring break vacation took them to the Washington D. C. area. They visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, where all the casualties of that war are etched into the wall. You may be saying about now, this doesn't have anything to do with the U.P., but it does and Bob's second photo illustrates the connection the wall has to the U.P., with the name in the center of the photo, Sgt. Willis C. Rheault, who died in Vietnam and was from right here in Lake Linden. Thank you to all our Vietnam Veteran's and their families.... Welcome Home!

A very moving tribute to our hero's of this war. Bob proudly played Taps to funerals of several friends and neighbors he knew personally who died during and after this war. A friend played his echo.

When I was in high school, the band would go to the cemetery on Memorial weekend, and I played the echo on my trombone. My folks would tell me it was very eerie but awesome sounding! I wouldn't know....I was WAY away from everybody else. But I know it always sent chills up and down me.

One more thing, the men who passed away years later from the effects of Agent Orange should be named on this wall. Just sayin'........

That must've been awesome, Deb, I would've loved to have heard it! "Taps" and the "Star Spangled Banner" always give me chills of pride!! God bless all those who 'gave all'!

Couldn't agree more, Deb....There are a mountain of names that need to be added to that Wall...for the men and women that have passed since that war, because of it!

Hat's off to our Vets, past, present and hopefully not future!

Name not shown..Charles Cavis from Tamarack City.
and I imagine a few others from around the Copper Country.

Mary says: EddyFitz: Here is a link to David Jude Cavis, from Hubbell, MI. Is this who you mean?
David Jude Cavis
I know there are a number of others from our local areas, that are listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, but this is the only one we had a photo of.
Thank you, especially to our Vietnam Vets today and WELCOME HOME. We know this doesn't make up for not being welcomed home warmly, back in the 60's and early 70's, but we hope it helps to begin healing those unseen wounds.

If you'd like to look for a name on the Wall, click here to begin your search: Vietnam Memorial Wall page

That was an honor Deb for you to be picked to
do that.

SSG Robert Long, USMC, Hancock, KIA Quang Nam 26 July 1968.
I was visiting with several other Vietnam era vets just last Sunday. We still can't figure out why, with so many draftees in service, folks in uniform were so despised in that era. We don't begrudge other generations welcome home, we just don't get why individual soldiers of the Vietnam war were treated as we were. Thank you all for recognizing us now!
The agent orange victims are real and they are dying every day.

Paul, in my opinion, you and ALL Vietnam vets should be honored! My husband and I were among those who openly supported you all, and wished we could have been in the crowd of good Americans who welcomed you home! Thank you for your service to our country!! May God bless you and all those unsung heroes!!

My cousin Franklin Deleno DuLong born in Hubbell and died in Viet Nam. My cousin Ken Baird also born in Hubbell, died several years after having served two terms in Viet Nam from agent orange. Proud to have served with both of these heros.

Shirley,
I can only claim to be a Vietnam era vet. I was in the Army during the war and it looked like I would have been in Vietnam as infantry. However, in true Army logic, they sent me to Ft. Carson, Colorado. Go figure, I enlisted for a path that would have put me there but they sent me somewhere else. I was very lucky. I did serve with many guys that had been there and have several classmates and friends on "The Wall". Those were difficult times.

I'm so glad the Vietnam vets are getting the recognition they deserve, and I like the way the Stars and Stripes reflects off the monument.

All or Veterans, regardless of what war they served in, should be honored. I thank them all.

And am happy to supply the pictures today.

Bob

All our Veterans, regardless of what war they served in, should be honored. I thank them all.

And am happy to supply the pictures today.

Bob

There are two from Dollar Bay High School that died in the VietNam war. The first was my neighbor Sgt. Edward Kolka and the second was Dale Moilanen. They are sorely missed. The town of Dollar bay does not forget them and their supreme sacrifice for our freedom. My sister, Pam , before she died from breast cancer refused to die before she could finish a memorial for the veterans on Memorial Day. She was so happy to to honor all the vets who served.

The drug crazy hippy generation dispized every aspect of the Vietnam war. They called the Vets baby killers and would spit on them all when they had a chance. Draft dodgers were worshiped by them.

Paul, my husband was in the same type situation where the Korean War was concerned. He served during that era, but fortunately the war had ended just before he enlisted in the Navy...right after he graduated high school. His 'time' just consisted of two trips to the Mediterranean aboard a refueling tanker, the USS Mattabesset, and even though neither of you saw any serious action, you are to be honored for your service to this great country of ours! I salute you!:)

Let's not condemn the whole generation, as we were the generation that went to Vietnam. As it always seems to happen, a small vocal minority can, at times, taint the perception of the whole. My point earlier was it was difficult to understand why, with the draft, those rabidly against the war choose to heap abuse on the common soldier who likely was there because he got one of those "Greetings" letters in the mail. They should have been targeting the politicians. Yes, we were called baby killers when we were on Times Square in uniform, but, surprisingly, when I got out and went to the UofW at Madison, I was well received as a vet. UofW was one of the hotbeds of protest, but that was on the east end of the campus (liberal arts, law, etc.) where a small minority of a tail wagged the dog. I spent my time on the west end (engineering, ag, etc.) where a more practical outlook prevailed.

Unlike Paul, I never had a confrontation in my 6 yrs. of Naval Service - 3 tours in Tonkin Gulf '67 -69. Stationed in Vallejo near S.F., Long Beach & San Diego. There should still be a "draft" so service to our country is diversified, maybe war would be less popular option.

As I was reading the posts, I wanted to see if my
cousin, Dale Moilanen was mentioned and I see that
Stewart Keskitalo has honored him, thank you.
Stewart, I'm sorry to hear about Pam, she was in my
grade when I attended Dollar Bay. Very nice person
as I remember. We moved down to Royal Oak in 1965
so I was not in her graduating class. My
condolences-- Sue.

David Cavis was a Dollar Bay graduate too. I think he graduated before Ed & Dale. David was my 1st cousin & Dale & I were in the same grade in school. They were great guys. All who served in that war are great No.1 guys & HEROES because they served for their country whether they were drafted or volunteered. Many lost their lives & many came back with deep wounds both physically & mentally after their experience in that war. And our government used agent orange on our men without their knowedge & the guys are suffering & dying because of it this war many years later because of it. It was sad to see then & even now.

Paul & Shirley, my dad was in the same situation, only it was WWII. He quit high school to go and fight for our country. Luckily for him, it ended not too long after he enlisted. He was one of the first soldiers to land in Japan once the war was over. I'm very thankful for that.

And to condemn a whole generation for the actions of the few is just plain silly. It's like that with everything..."One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch", as was sung. There were many people who supported our vets. Some of us had friends over there who we worried about constantly. I grew up in the 60's and was not a drug crazed hippie. One of my friends passed away last May from the after effects of Agent Orange. It was a horrible war, as all are.

And Gene, thanks! It was a lot of fun doing that every Memorial Day! It was an honor! And Shirley, I get chills from those two songs also.

My condemnation was not of the 60's generation but of the HIPPY generation. Since you said you weren't a hippy then the difference should have been quite clear. I suggest reading carefuly what was written before criticizing...........

FJL, I knew what you meant in your first post, and I agreed even though I didn't say it here. "Sometimes (as Lincoln said) it's better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.". It's my feeling that the 'hippy generation' started the ball rolling that brings us to where we are today, with disrespect flooding this country.