A grateful community says, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you,' to Vietnam Veterans

More than 1,100 people, including 424 were Vietnam War veterans, gathered at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland, on March 30 to celebrate the state’s 3rd annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. The celebration was hosted by Hospice of the Chesapeake as part of its partnership with the We Honor Veterans program.

The four-hour event began with an opportunity for the guests of honors to visit a dozen different groups and agencies offering resources aimed at assisting Vietnam veterans. The two and a half hours leading up to the evening’s program also included food, slideshows of veterans both still with us and who have passed on, and plenty of time to mingle with fellow veterans.

The program included musical performances, an Honor Salute, and a number of speakers, including Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh, as well as Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary George W. Owings III and retired Army Maj. Gen. James T. Jackson, Director of the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, both of whom are Vietnam War veterans.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for what you have done,” Harbaugh said. “There is no greater call in a fallen world than to serve and defend your fellow citizens.”

Headquartered in Pasadena, Maryland, the nonprofit is a Commemorative Partner in the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration as well as a 4-Star Partner in the We Honor Veterans program, a national hospice initiative honoring the men and women from all branches of the military who have served our country.

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Caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss is the mission of Hospice of the Chesapeake. For more information, please visit www.hospicechesapeake.org.