Welcome Home

WELCOME HOME MARINES

This Veterans Day I was very honored and privileged to take part in Operation Welcome Home for Vietnam veterans in Las Vegas. I was one of twelve Purple Heart Vietnam veterans chosen from across the nation by the national VFW to participate in the Operation Welcome Home ceremonies. It was also my honor to be in the company of the eleven other Vietnam veterans for the weekend. On Nov. 11th we gathered at the parade route. The parade would take us through the streets of downtown Las Vegas . Once the parade started we walked as a group behind the Grand Marshal down the parade route and to my total amazement we were greeted with cheers, welcome home and salutes from thousands upon thousands of people lining the streets, on balconies and roof tops. For me there was no welcome home in Sept. 1969 and I must say that I did not know how to respond to all the attention. I know that emotions were running high among all of us. I can not put into words the feelings that accompanied this experience. When we reached the reviewing stand we left the parade and were given reserved seats on the stand to watch the rest of the parade pass by. As each marching unit passed by they would stop in front of the reviewing stand and perform for us and welcome us home. That night we attended the ceremonies on Freemont St. to include a light show, performances by The Guess Who band and The Rascals. The Traveling Wall was also on display in downtown Las Vegas. Nov. 12th we were taken to Nellis AFB to attend the air show which was being put on in honor of Vietnam veterans. Most of the morning was spent looking at all the displays. For me the high light of the morning was the Vietnam aerial reenactment depicting combat air operations as they were some 35 years ago in Vietnam. After lunch it was time for us to attend the USO show. Ann Margret, Paulette Carlson, Mickey Jones and Hank Brake would be taking the stage to perform. Mike Gormalley, VFW Programs director, worked some magic and arraigned for all of us to go back stage and meet with Ann Margret, Paulette Carlson and Mickey Jones. I never got to see Ann Margret and Mickey Jones when they were on tour with the USO in Vietnam so for me this was an overwhelming experience. All three of them are such wonderful people and they all have a special place in their heart for Vietnam veterans. During the USO show a group of sky writers flew over and spelled out in the sky above the base " welcome home vets". That evening we attended more tributes on Freemont St. I want to thank the VFW and especially Mike Gormalley and his assistant Mary Anne Vassholz for all their hard work in putting this program together and also the mayor and people of Las Vegas who gave us our "welcome home". I dedicate this page to all the Marines of Fox Company who did not receive a welcome home and I guess what saddens me the most is that so many Vietnam veterans have died since returning home and they died without ever receiving the honor and reorganization that they truly deserved. That should never have happened and I pray that our Country never dishonors its present and future veterans.

Steve Poundstone

LAS VEGAS, US AIR FORCE TO HONOR VIETNAM VETERANS

LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas and the U.S. Air Force will host a four-day national kickoff of Operation Welcome Home—a one-year celebration to publicly honor, thank and recognize America’s 2.7 million Vietnam veterans.

The culmination of a nine-month local celebration which began with a visit by The Wall That Heals exhibit to Mesquite, Nev., Feb. 10-13, national kickoff activities currently include a visit by The Moving Wall Nov. 10-13; the Las Vegas Veterans Day Parade Nov. 11; a free nightly Patriots Party on Fremont Street Nov. 11-13; and a salute to our Vietnam veterans with era-specific air and ground displays and a USO Reunion Show during Aviation Nation 2005—The Nellis Air Force Base-Las Vegas Centennial Air Show, Nov. 12-13.

According to MaryAnne Beaman, director of Event Programming for Las Vegas Events, Operation Welcome Home is expected to draw thousands of Vietnam veterans to the area for the Veterans Day weekend celebration. “The response has been tremendous. We are proud and excited to host this event in Las Vegas and pay due respect to our veterans. Our office receives emails and phone calls every day from Vietnam veterans who say they wouldn't miss it for anything. We think this could be one of the biggest Las Vegas events of the year."

“Operation Welcome Home will be a singular moment in American history, a rare opportunity to turn back the clock and heal old wounds,” said Mike Jackson, Operation Welcome Home national chairman and co-author of Naked in Da Nang, a recently released book that inspired the event. “The goal is to help close the loop on the Vietnam experience – and to offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’ and ‘welcome home’ to every man and woman who put on a uniform and traveled to that distant and hostile region in service to our country.”

Operation Welcome Home events are growing daily, but events currently include:

The Moving Wall
Thursday, Nov. 10 to Sunday, Nov. 13
www.themovingwall.org
The Moving Wall, the original half-scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., will be set up in a somber area near Fremont Street. The public may view the way throughout the day and evening.

Las Vegas Veterans Day Parade
Friday, Nov. 11
www.lvvetparade.org
By all accounts, one of the largest Veterans Day parades in America. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman predicts this year’s parade will “go down in the history books” as we welcome home our Vietnam veterans and salute all Americans who are serving their country today.

Fremont Street Patriot’s Party
Friday, Nov. 11 to Sunday, Nov. 13
www.VegasExperience.com
Fremont Street Experience under the fabulous 1,500’ Viva Vision canopy in historic Las Vegas will be headquarters for Operation Welcome Home. Two Fremont Street Experience stages will be active each night and evening light shows will pay tribute to America’s military and veterans.

Scheduled headliner for Friday, Nov. 11 is Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals
Felix Cavaliere, a legendary artist with several classic smash hits, rocked millions of fans with his soulful singing and songwriting skills as founder/leader of The Rascals. His voice is familiar to millions through smash hits like “Good Lovin',” “Girl Like You,” “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long,” “Groovin’,” “You Better Run,” “A Beautiful Morning” and the inspiring “People Got To Be Free.”

Scheduled headliner for Saturday, Nov. 12 is the legendary rock band, The Guess Who.
Long before Lenny Kravitz, The Guess Who wrote and recorded the original “American Woman.” The band continued to record a litany of hits over the next three decades including, “These Eyes,” “Undun,” “No Sugar Tonight” and “Hand Me Down World.”

A special light show honoring America’s veterans will play nightly and the Fremont Street Experience will debut a new show called Above and Beyond at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11.

Aviation Nation, the Nellis Air Force Base – Las Vegas Centennial Air Show
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 12-13
www.AviationNation.org

One of the largest, most diverse and entertaining air shows in America.
The Air Force’s premier air show and homecoming show of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team.
Host of the official Operation Welcome Home ceremony and a USO Reunion Show
Will include Vietnam-era specific air and ground displays
Gold Signature event of the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration.

ANN MARGRET AND HER GENTLEMEN

http://www.ann-margret.com/

http://www.ann-margret.com/1961_1969.htm

LAS VEGAS - In March 1966, Ann-Margret, Chuck Day and Mickey Jones embarked on a USO tour to entertain U.S. service members serving their nation in the most remote regions of Southeast Asia. Nearly 40 years later, the group will reunite at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 12-13 to perform for "their troops" as part of the national kickoff for Operation Welcome Home—a year-long celebration to publicly honor, thank and recognize America’s 2.7 million Vietnam veterans.

The USO Reunion Show, which takes place during Aviation Nation 2005, the Nellis Air Force Base-Las Vegas Centennial Air Show, caps off a city-wide celebration which includes the Operation Welcome Home Veterans Day Parade Nov. 11 and the Fremont Street Experience’s Patriots Party Nov. 11-13.

"The USO is excited to be part of Operation Welcome Home," USO President and CEO Edward Powell said. "Vietnam veterans have added immeasurably to this country, and it is well past time to recognize them for their contribution to the United States. Ann-Margret, a recipient of the USO’s Spirit of Hope award, brought her great talent and spirit to U.S. troops serving in Vietnam. The people they performed for nearly 40 years ago will never forget them."

THANK YOU VETS by PAULETTE CARLSON

http://www.paulettecarlson.com/

MICKEY JONES ORGANIZED THE USO SHOW

http://www.mickeyjones.com/

PICTURES SUBMITTED BY STEVE POUNDSTONE

	Nellis Air Force Base

	During the USO show sky writers spelled out " Welcome Home Vets" above the base

	Group picture of the twelve Vietnam veterans and their spouses
	USO stage
	Ann Margret getting ready to take the stage
	On her way to the stage Ann Margret stops to welcome home the twelve veterans
	Steve and Ann Margret
	Steve and Ann Margret
	A last minute hug


	Mike Gormalley ( VFW Programs Director ) and Ann Margret
	Ann Margret on stage giving her Welcome Home speech

	Paulette Carlson meeting with the twelve veterans before her performance
	Steve and Paulette Carlson


	Mickey Jones meets with the twelve veterans
	Steve and Mickey Jones
	Hank Brake performing on stage
	VFW sponsored parade in downtown Las Vegas



	The twelve veterans marching in the parade
	Twelve veterans marching
	Twelve veterans marching
	Steve on the reviewing stand
	Reviewing stand
	Reviewing stand



	Vietnam veterans

	Vietnam veterans
	Vietnam veterans








	Vietnam veterans
	Vietnam veterans


	Jane and Steve on Freemont St. watching the light show dedicated to Operation Welcome Home

PICTURES SUBMITTED BY VARIOUS VETERANS
	Group at Nellis AFB
	Group before parade





	Group marching in parade
	Group marching
	Group marching
	Vietnam veterans marching in parade
	Vietnam veterans
	Vietnam veterans
	Vietnam veterans
	Vietnam veterans


	Reviewing stand
	Reviewing stand
	Reviewing stand
	Steve with one of the riders for The Wall

	Steve with Marine Color Guard
	Ann Margret

VETERAN'S DAY WEB SITES

HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY

VETERANS DAY

VETERANS DAY--FORMERLY ARMISTICE DAY