by Deanna
I know this is just a couple of days late in coming, but I just felt the urge and the need to post about how my hometown honors and celebrates Veterans Day. For this, and many other reasons I love the town I live in, Naperville, IL.
Rotary Hill once again was covered in our USA colors creating a sea of red, white, and blue that formed an inspiring and lasting memory as the residents of Naperville and our surrounding communities united to honor our veterans. This year's theme was "50 Years of Healing" commemorating the Vietnam War where 3 million service men and women who left family and friends to fight in a politically unpopular war far from home.
There were 58,000 who died serving in Southeast Asia leaving behind family and friends who yet carry the burden of their loss. The returning veterans of that conflict did not receive the welcome home they so richly deserved, feeling alone and rejected.
The passage of 5 decades has brought awareness that the men and women of our armed forces, sent to fight on foreign battlefields, earn the support and thanks from their fellow countrymen.
This Naperville 2015 Healing Field of Honor will stand as a solemn tribute to those that fought and died during the Vietnam War.
Along with the 2,015 flags proudly displayed, a replica that is 60% the size of the original Vietnam Wall in Washington DC has also been part of this distinct recognition, I am proud to be an American and know that we continue to honor those that fought and defend our country. God Bless America.
“Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” —Winston Churchill