DOCUMENTARY FILM – VIETNAM WARThe Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association Foundation is proud to present a 47-minute documentary film entitled “Truths and Myths About the Vietnam War” with introduction by actor Sam Elliott. The purpose of the film is to honor those who served in the Vietnam War by providing factual information to
address the decades of misinformation that have presented a skewed historical perspective of the war – a very important and long overdue film that presents the information and lessons learned that most Vietnam War veterans want reported about the war. Some of the truth we now know comes from Vietcong and North Vietnamese archives and other disclosures made available over the last 50 years since the war ended.
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Rose Duval Have you ever felt the need to be a part of a group or organization that gave you a sense of purpose and allowed you to offer a modicum of peace and solace? For me that is what the Arlington Ladies offer each time they attend a burial ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The Arlington Ladies began in 1948 when the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Hoyt Vandenberg, and his wife, Gladys, routinely attended funeral
services at the cemetery and noticed that some services had only a military chaplain present. The Vandenberg’s believed that a member of the Air Force family should also attend, and Mrs. Vandenberg asked her friends to start attending services. She ultimately formed a group from the Officer's Wives Club. In 1973, General Creighton Abrams' wife, Julia, founded the Army's version of the group. In 1985, the Navy created a group, and in 2006 the Coast Guard followed suit. The Marines do not officially have a group, as they send a representative of the Marine Commandant to every funeral. Today, the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Coast Guard all have Arlington Ladies who perform similar volunteer duties, attending funeral services for active-duty service members and veterans. The criteria for becoming an Arlington Lady is different for each military service, but each Lady has some connection to the respective service, generally as a current or former military member or as a spouse of a military member. The Ladies are an official part of the funeral service, representing the military service's chief of staff or equivalent. My desire to be a part of this group has been a long-time goal of mine. The process was long, but all good things are worth the wait. For now, I am an Army Arlington Lady. My journey began when I met with the Chairperson of the Army Arlington Ladies. From there I met with three (3) other Army Arlington Ladies. This took over six months due to coordinating our schedules and the holidays. In the end the Chairperson, with input from the other ladies, decided to sponsor me into the organization. From there I shadowed 3 different ladies and then I go solo while being evaluated by the Chairperson. I will be on the substitution list for a year before I am given a permanent day. But until then I am more than happy to fill in wherever I am needed. Having been on the receiving end of the Arlington Ladies condolence card, I understand the impact and meaning of their presence. I only hope I can offer the same warmth and sincerity I received on the day Scott was laid to rest in Section 60. While Arlington National Cemetery has the Arlington Ladies, there is no reason that every cemetery across our country can’t have a similar group of volunteers. Volunteers of Gold Star Mothers that carries on the tradition to ensure every veteran or service member who dies in service of our nation has their Arlington Lady present.
March 13th recognizes National K9 Veterans Day and the dedicated K9 units who've served since World War II.
A lot of things changed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. We rationed oil, leather, and rubber. The military draft men into service. Women rolled up their sleeves and built war supplies. Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown SoldierThe Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery is a gravesite and national shrine for unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Established originally by legislation, the body of an unidentified American soldier from World War I was buried in 1921. This was in accordance with an international movement to recognize those who gave their lives and identities, and perhaps were still missing, on the battlefields of World War I, which saw combat and violence rise to levels never before imaginable. Each crypt also represents those unidentified or still missing from the from the wars they memorialize.
Specially selected and trained Sentinels, often referred to as Tomb Guards, protect the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier each day. They carry on the tradition of Americans who guarded the Unknowns in the past, including the posting of civilian guards in 1925, military guards in 1926, and 24-hour military guards, who have performed the duty perpetually since 1937.
1. Medal of Honor
The most prestigious of all U.S. military decorations, the Medal of Honor (sometimes informally called the “Congressional Medal of Honor”) is the highest medal any U.S. service member can receive. Since it was created during the Civil War in 1861, the medal has only been given to “the bravest of the brave” and is awarded to service members who have displayed exceptional valor on the battlefield against an enemy. There are three versions of the medal – for the Army, Air Force and Navy (Coast Guard and Marine Corps personnel receive the Navy version) – and all recipients are given the award by the current president. Past Medal of Honor recipients include former President Theodore Roosevelt, Daniel Daly (known for his famous World War I battle yell, “Come on, you sons of b******, do you want to live forever?!”) and Travis Atkins (who sacrificed his life for his men in Iraq in 2007). To date, there have been 3,473 Medals of Honor awarded to service members across all branches. |
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