30th Annual Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion Solemn but Hopeful

Melbourne, FL, hosted one of the largest Veterans Reunions in the country this week. Hearts were heavy but hopeful at this annual event.

Melbourne, United States – May 27, 2017 /MarketersMedia/ —

Sunday, hundreds of people lined the sides of U.S. 1 in what has become a tradition in the area. The event was not a celebration but an expression of kinship shared by many in the Melbourne/Cocoa community. It was the annual passing of the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall on its way to the Annual Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion to be held at Wickham Park.

For the 30th straight year, Melbourne, Florida, played host to what has become the premier “Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion” in the Country, drawing a crowd estimated to be over 90,000 strong to honor those who have served. This was despite overcast conditions and drizzling rain that some may have felt provided the proper somber mood for the event.

Accompanying the memorial, in what has also become a tradition, were hundreds of motorcyclists, many trailing American flags, who make this annual pilgrimage. As a local attorney and motorcycle community leader, Brad Sinclair pointed out, “There has always been a close relationship between the biking community and our veterans. In truth, most people would be surprised at the number of motorcycle clubs that were created by veterans, seeking support that communities, at the time, were unwilling to provide.”

Viewing the crowds and listening to the speeches over the last week shows just how far our country has come in how it now views our men and woman in uniform. In the words of Doc Russo, traveling wall manager and reunion chairman. “It’s the first step in the healing process of burdens guys have been carrying or family members have been carrying for over 50 years. They may have lost comrades. They may have lost family members. And every place I go — not just here — it helps them lift a big burden. I mean, I have friends that it took me 15 years to get them to come out here to the wall. And now, they’re out here volunteering because they have buddies on the wall that they lost.”

This sentiment was closely mirrored by U.S. Air Force Capt. Barry Kemp, a chaplain with the 45th Space Wing, who during the invocation said, “There’s a vivid reminder that over 58,000 brothers and some sisters are not here. . . I also know that every generation of soldier, Marine, sailor, and airman knows the deep, deep pain of loss and even separation, as the wall in front of me displays as well.”

The wall, owned and maintained by the nonprofit Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard, is a 3/5 scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. Just like the memorial itself, it contains the names of the American service men and woman who died in the Vietnam Conflict. To many, its stark appearance and lack of adornment have come to symbolize the very essence of the times it commemorates. Again, in the words of Brad Sinclair, “The people on this wall gave their lives in the service of the country, but it should never be forgotten that even those who returned from that terrible war left a piece of themselves behind. It is gratifying to see the country they also served is finally recognizing them for the heroes they are.”

These sentiments were mirrored by over 80 veteran and civic organizations who, before the opening ceremony, placed flowers along the wall as a demonstration of solidarity and as a visual reminder of the feelings expressed by Melbourne Mayor Kathy Meehan, “To the Vietnam veterans here today, and to all those whose names appear on the wall, I say you are all our heroes.”

Contact Info:
Name: Scot Small
Organization: Sinclair Law
Address: 5465 N. Highway 1 Melbourne, FL 32940
Phone: 321-253-4200

Source URL: http://marketersmedia.com/30th-annual-vietnam-and-all-veterans-reunion-solemn-but-hopeful/203119

For more information, please visit https://www.sinclairlaw.com/

Source: MarketersMedia

Release ID: 203119