MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. --
Marines, veterans and civilians
gathered at Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort for a Vietnam Veterans
Tribute, Aug 8.
The event was held
to honor the local veterans of the Vietnam War and commemorate a significant
milestone in American history.
“When we realized
it was the fiftieth year anniversary of the Vietnam War we decided to organize
this event,” said Donnie Ann Beer, chairman of Healing Heroes and organizer of
the event. “We wanted to
give these veterans the welcome home ceremony that many of them never got.”
The event was
organized by veteran service organizations in the Beaufort area including
Healing Heroes and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Six months of planning went into
organizing the tribute.
Veterans
of Foreign Wars and Healing Heroes are both non-profit organizations whose
mission is to support military veterans and their families, said Dwight Hora,
the state quartermaster for the Veterans of Foreign Wars in South Carolina.
According to the
Healing Heroes website, they were founded in 2008 in order to assist wounded
veterans and help them return to civilian life. Their goal is to bring awareness of the often
untreated injuries sustained in war through communication, education, and
community outreach.
The Veterans of
Foreign Wars have been in the Beaufort area for 53 years and use volunteer
support and donations to give back to the community.
The ceremony
featured performances from the Parris Island Marine Corps Band as well as
civilian performers from the Beaufort area.
Col. Peter D. Buck, the commanding officer of
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, attended the event to show the air station’s
support for the local veterans and their families.
Also
showing support of the event were volunteers from Marine Corps Air Station
Beaufort who handed out water and helped set up tents.
“I
just love being able to give back,” said Lance Cpl. Hamilton Curtis, an
embarkation combat support specialist with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron
31 aboard MCAS Beaufort. “It is humbling to be around all these older Marines
who are the ones who made history.”
Although
this event was specifically for veterans of the Vietnam War, service members
and veterans of all ages and branches of the military were present.
“We’ve got so many
veterans here, young ones, old ones and it’s wonderful to see everyone out here
tonight,” said Beer.
Vietnam veterans
were honored with respect and appreciation from their fellow service members
and the community as a whole.
Beaufort,
home to a vast population of active service members, has a large veteran
community and many opportunities to give back to those who have served.
“Beaufort
is a great town to live in as a veteran,” said Jim Andrews, a retired Marine living
in Bluffton. “They always take care of us. It’s a strong military community.”