CLEVELAND, Ga. – A group, mostly veterans, gathered Saturday at Freedom Park in downtown Cleveland to celebrate and honor Vietnam War Veterans.
The special observance was sponsored by the Northeast Georgia Veterans Society and included Vietnam era music by Kurt Johnson, and the White County High School JROTC Honor Guard presented the colors.
Ron Webb, President of the Northeast Georgia Veterans Society, told the crowd about the shift in public opinion on the war from 1966 to 1969, from support to protest.
Webb attributed the change to what he called “the anti-war news media.” He singled out CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite. “I believe the tide has turned on the American people’s perception of the Vietnam Veteran. They realize now how wrong it was to disrespect, humiliate, and shun the sacrifice of the Vietnam Veteran, and we are finally being welcomed home by our American citizens,” said Webb.
Vietnam War Veterans Day is officially observed on Sunday, March 29, commemorating the final withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam in 1973.
