The fifth and final "Welcome Home" ceremony for Vietnam Veterans will take place Saturday in Hudson. The event is hosted by the New Hampshire National Guard.
When troops came back from fighting in Vietnam, they weren't universally welcomed. In some cases, they were actually scorned by those who opposed the war.
Now, however, Vietnam veterans are more widely recognized as having served their country honorably. More than a third of New Hampshire's veterans served during the Vietnam era.
Captain Lyndsey Fleming helped organize the event in Hudson. "We can't undo the wrongs that happened fifty-plus years ago to these veterans as they returned home," she said, "but what we can do is recognize them for their sacrifice and thank them because they gave so much to so many of us."
These "Welcome Home" ceremonies have been held in New Hampshire since 2012. Saturday's ceremony, the last, will take place at 11 at Alvrine High School in Hudson.
