This happened last week, but it still bears mentioning.
Charles Hahn was one of the Vietnam War soldiers who returned home to war protests and criticism.
"They warned us, but I just turned 21. I don't think any of us were ready for that," said Hahn, 61, Nineveh.
For many veterans, there were no welcome-home parades or other celebrations. Hahn, instead, remembers getting off a plane in Chicago after spending two years in Vietnam and being spat upon by a woman protesting the unpopular war.
On Saturday, organizers of Indianapolis' first Welcome Home celebration for Vietnam War veterans hoped it wasn't too late to make amends.
Hahn was one of hundreds of Vietnam War veterans, their family members and other supporters who filled the auditorium of the Indiana War Memorial for the welcoming celebration -- a recognition that many veterans felt was long overdue.
Welcoming speakers included Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard.
A banner outside the memorial made it clear to all: "The city of Indianapolis Welcomes Home Vietnam Veterans."
"It's been a long time coming. Too long," said Ballard, who greeted the veterans before and after the ceremony.
"I thought it was important for the city to do it, so at least one municipality is saying, 'Thanks for what you did,' " said Ballard, who served in the Marines during the first Gulf War.
God bless whoever organized this event.
The question remains: When will John Kerry and Jane Fonda apologize for the great harm they propogated on Vietnam vets?
