Remembering those from the Vietnam War Era
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No matter which side of the conflict, the least any of these men or women did- was their duty.
One day I received a letter from a Veterans' counselor from Duluth, MN. She learned about my work through an article about one of our medical containers being shipped to Vietnam. She asked me to come and speak to a group of Vietnam Veterans about my personal story and the knowledge I had about the Vietnam of today. That day I also learned more about the Veterans who attended. A lot of them had stories that were never told and needed to be heard. I was honored by the privilege of this meeting and the many others that followed. I knew this knowledge was given to me to not just keep to myself, but to pass onto others by providing another platform for them to tell their own stories. Vietnam Veterans have contributed and accomplished many great things in their communities. Many of them have and are continuing to return to Vietnam to do great things as well. Vietnam Veterans are also the front runners for making sure the soldiers returning today are being taken care of. It was important to me to help share their stories. Thuy's Story- Her connection to Vietnam |
Past TSIO Vietnam Veteran gatherings, Annual Vietnam Veteran's Day Banquet, Community Educational Events
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The TSIO Annual Vietnam Veteran’s gathering started as a free dinner in 2000 and held annually thr Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It was first held at Thuy's mother’s Vietnamese restaurant. Thuy's father, a Vietnam Veteran, also assisted with the event.
The Vietnam Veteran gathering eventually became an annual Vietnam Veterans Day banquet that was moved to March and in Lake Hallie, WI. It was open to all Vietnam ERA Veterans, their families, and friends. In 2009, a bill passed designating an official Vietnam Veteran's Day for Wisconsin. TSIO organized the very first official event in Wisconsin in 2010. In addition to annual banquets, two community educational events were also organized along with local proclamations. |
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This was an annual gathering, not a fundraiser event. Any extra funds went toward gratuity for a basically all volunteer Eagle's Club staff (host site) and toward the next year's event. |
