This story is amazing! Thank you Deborah for sharing.
"We took a trip to Fayetteville, NC (Ft. Bragg) with some special friends, to visit the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. After the visit to the museum, which the guys found very interesting since they were both Airborne, we visited the Museum Gift Shop. After doing some shopping and while Greg paid for our purchases and he and Manny were talking back and forth, the young lady that was helping us asked if both of them were Vietnam veterans. Think the grey hair might have given them away? When he answered, yes, she got on a walkie-talkie and said, "I have two Vietnam veterans in the Gift Shop. She asked us to stay in the shop for a few minutes, so we continued looking around a some of their lovely things. Pretty soon, a young man approached us and chatted some, then he asked us to please step outside the shop. The young lady also went with us and he proceeded with an informal ceremony to officially welcome them home, since they didn't get that back when they returned from their deployment. He said he was sorry it took them 50 years to do something like this (he was probably in his 30's maybe). He then asked if he could present them with the governments official Welcome Home pin. He then asked for permission to pin it on their collars. He did this little ceremony for each one individually, then shook their hands, and thanked them, then shook our (wives) hands and gave us a hug. I really don't know if I can express how emotional this was for me. Yes, it has been a long time coming, but it is so touching that finally they are recognized for the sacrifices they made. I am not getting into whether that war was "right" or not, but they weren't the ones that made those decisions. Their country called, they stepped up and answered that call, in my book, they are true patriots. I am proud to be a veteran's wife, I am proud that both my boys and our eldest grandson have or are serving! I am humbled and honored! Some of you have received an email from Greg or my Facebook post, but I wanted to express my personal thanks and emotions."
Proud to be an Army wife,
Deborah
