Vets invited to Welcome Home 2011
More than 200,000 veterans and their families marched down the streets of Chicago in 1986 during the Chicago Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Parade.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of that parade – the largest of its kind in U.S. history – a Welcome Home 2011 weekend is being planned June 17-19 in downtown Chicago.
More details about the weekend were distributed this week to local Veterans of Foreign Wars groups.
While there won't be another parade, the activities over the three-day period range from a Vietnam Moving Wall display to a multi-band rock concert headlined by Dennis DeYoung. All active and retired military men and women are invited to the events along with their families – whether they were in the Vietnam War or not.
“Everything's open to the public,” sad Robert Kolling, of Bolingbrook, a Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam War veteran who is chairman of Welcome Home 2011. “People from all over the U.S. are coming. Six guys who served in the war from the Australia military are coming in, too.”
The weekend begins Friday, June 17 with a veterans art and photo exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Arts Center and a Vietnam Moving Wall display at Navy Pier.
Saturday's activities include a kickoff rally at Navy Pier, featuring several special guests, where there'll be a symbolic ceremony to “pass the torch” to the next generation of veterans.
“We're going to honor the present day vets. We believe in them and we're behind them,” said Vietnam veteran Jack Schiffler, of Naperville, who helped organize the ‘86 parade and is on the Welcome Home 2011 committee.
On Saturday night, TV anchor and producer Bill Kurtis will be the master of ceremonies for the Heroes Banquet, featuring Bob “Mr. Motivation” Weiland as the keynote speaker. Weiland lost his legs during the war, led the 1986 parade, and is now a motivational speaker. Several Medal of Honor recipients also will be in attendance.
Sunday, June 19 starts with an interfaith service and then a concert in Millennium Park featuring DeYoung, ARRA, Joe Cantafio & The 101st Rock Division, and Kimotion.
Weekend military unit reunions are also in the works for that day.
Tickets for the concert and banquet dinner will go on sale in a few weeks. Discounted room rates are available at The Palmer House.
For more information, see serviceandhonor.org or call the event hotline, (312) 925-5506.
Vietnam vets say it's important to commemorate this anniversary because the parade marked a turning point for them. It united the veterans, and led them to pave the way for changes that would benefit future veterans.
“For a lot of years, we didn't get any respect from anybody,” Schiffler said. “(The parade) was the first thank you we got... It kind of healed the nation.”