Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (LI) march in a "Welcome Home" parade for Vietnam War veterans March 28 in Carthage, N.Y. Members of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars planned the parade to honor and thank Vietnam War veterans and to officially welcome them home for the first time, 50 years after the end of the war. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kade M. Bowers)
10th Mountain Division helps Carthage groups honor Vietnam War veterans 50 years later
Spc. Kade M. Bowers
27th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (March 29, 2023) – Members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars held a "Welcome Home" parade for Vietnam War veterans March 28 in Carthage, in conjunction with National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) proudly participated in the parade to show support for those who served before them.
Organizers planned the parade to honor and thank Vietnam War veterans and to officially welcome them home for the first time, 50 years after the end of the war.
Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division Band and the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade marched through the streets of Carthage, alongside veterans who served during the Vietnam War era and members of the American Legion and the VFW. Children from schools in the area and other residents of Carthage attended to show their support for those who served.
"We're so grateful to 10th Mountain for stepping up and showing out," said Janice Gravely, commander of American Legion Post 789. "We are truly grateful for the support of the band and the color guard, and we're also thankful for the community and their support. It was a group effort from the community at large, which is what it should be.
“We thank troops all the time for their service, but this is the first time we're officially welcoming them home in 50 years, and it's been long overdue,” she added.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day, celebrated annually on March 29, honors the more than 9 million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, regardless of location. March 29, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the United States' withdrawal from fire from Vietnam. Today, roughly 6 million of those service members are still alive today.
"We love that we were able to come out to support the community and Vietnam War veterans," said Staff Sgt. Phillip Johnson, a member of the 10th Mountain Division Band, who played during the parade. “We’re looking forward just as much to helping to do it again next year.”