Vietnam War veteran Mossie Wright was 19 when he was deployed to Vietnam in 1969. When he returned to the U.S. the following year, he was “shocked at the reception.”
“People was calling us names, and, you know, to me was acting stupid,” he told WTOP. “It took me a long time, about 10 years, before I really finally understood, you know what I mean, the sentiments.”
Wright was on the National Mall on Sunday to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the first time in seven years. He was taking part in what organizers called the “national welcome home celebration” honoring veterans who, like Wright, did not receive a hero’s welcome.
The celebration was held on a day of national recognition for the war’s veterans.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29, the anniversary of the day in 1973 when the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam.
The local observances have typically been small, quiet affairs at the Vietnam Memorial. But this year’s events included a “welcome walk” with veterans and families.
The walk was held from the World War II Memorial to the Lincoln and Vietnam Veterans memorials, with festivities including a concert featuring actor, singer and veterans advocate Gary Sinise.
Sinise jumped at the chance to perform, according to Pam Swan, vice president of military relations for the event’s sponsor and organizer, Veterans United Home Loans.
“There was probably 12 to 15 slides in that [pitch] deck,” Swan said. “The minute we put ‘Vietnam veterans’ in there and ‘Welcome Home,’ he just looked across the table and said, ‘I’m in. I’m in. Tell me what you need.’”
Rob Riggle, an actor, Marine Corps veteran and the event’s master of ceremonies, had a similar reaction.
“I didn’t even get through the first couple sentences,” Swan said. “He said just give me the date, Pam. Just give me the date. I’m there. I’m in. What do you need.’”
For Wright, the day was an emotional one.
“Three brothers in my unit — I went today and saw them on the on the wall, right? And it kind of really broke me down,” he said.
Emotion overtook him again at the Lincoln Memorial, as the Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps led fellow Vietnam veterans along with a mix of service members and their families in the ceremonial walk.
“It just brings back, for me, a lot of memories, you know, of brotherhood,” Wright said.
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