Monday
marked the beginning of "Welcome Home: America's Tribute
to Vietnam Veterans," a weeklong celebration for Vietnam
veterans in the Branson area that organizers have dubbed "the
homecoming you never received." They initially predicted
the week could draw up to 100,000 visitors to the Branson area
but have since revised the estimate to between 35,000 and 50,000...
"Nobody
did anything for us," said Zrinksi, who did two tours as
a Marine in Vietnam and was also wounded. "This kind of
makes you feel good. But there's still a bitter taste, and it's
not going to go away."
On
Monday, strangers reached out to one another, touched a shoulder,
offered a handshake or hug. "Welcome home, brother,"
could be heard again and again. Many of the veterans wore baseball
caps or berets with their unit identification. Some were in
wheelchairs or leaning on canes. They asked about each other's
unit, dates of service and inquired about mutual acquaintances.
Although
not the first time Vietnam veterans have gathered in large numbers,
Linderer said it would be one of the few national events not
hosted by veterans themselves. The idea for the tribute grew
out of a conversation Linderer had a couple of years ago with
fellow veteran and organizer Steve Presley of Springfield, Mo.
Both men wondered why more Vietnam veterans didn't come to a
town that takes pride in honoring veterans.
The
city advertises itself as the national home for all veterans
and for years has hosted military reunions and other veterans
events. World War II and Korean War veterans flocked to the
town, but gatherings of Vietnam vets were few and far between.
Linderer and Presley landed on the idea of a homecoming and
formed a not-for-profit corporation.
Linderer
and his wife moved to Branson two years ago to work full time
on the project. "I did this because it needed to be done,"
said Linderer, who did a one-year tour in Vietnam. "It
needed to be done before we all die."
The
week's events include military demonstrations and displays,
fishing and golf tournaments, national radio broadcasts, banquets,
reunions and a parade. The celebration ends Saturday 10 miles
north of Branson with a fair, air show, fireworks and scheduled
performances by the Beach Boys, Credence Clearwater Revisited,
the Doobie Brothers, the Four Tops, Mary Wilson of the Supremes,
the Oak Ridge Boys and Tony Orlando. Satellite feeds from President
George W. Bush and troops in Iraq also are planned.
The
final price tag will be about $5 million, Linderer said. Major
contributors include Anheuser-Busch, American Airlines, Coca-Cola
and Texas businessman Ross Perot, who is scheduled to attend.
Linderer
was one of several veterans who credited the treatment and public
respect that members of the armed forces receive today in large
part to the pain they suffered during the last 30 years.
"This
country suffered a national embarrassment the way it treated
Vietnam vets," Linderer said. "It wasn't the whole
country, but it was enough of the country that it flavored our
homecoming with the animosity and the indifference that we ran
into. And I'll tell you something else: Kids today will never
get the treatment we got as long as we're alive."
