BANGOR — The city of Bangor welcomed veterans from the Vietnam War home recently, approximately 40 years after the war ended. Around 1,000 veterans from the conflict attended the event at the Cross Insurance Center on June 14th.

The ceremony began with the Vietnam Veterans walking into the arena while patriotic music played through the speakers and electronic banners displayed “Thank you Veterans”. On either side of the procession, active service men and women stood at attention and saluted their fellow service members as they went by.

Among those gathered to speak was Senator Angus King. King made a short speech about soldiers doing anything they could to protect their flag and country, and how that was all the Vietnam Veterans did. King ended his speech with, “There is nothing we can say or do to add or subtract to what you did; all I can do is say thank you and welcome home.” This was met with the applause of everyone gathered in the arena.

Congressman Bruce Poliquin also reached out to the veterans. Poliquin said how when the veterans first returned to the United States after the Vietnam War that there were no handshakes or parades and that “There are millions of Americans who are sorry for that.” Poliquin praised the veterans for how they served their country and said that now “We honor and recognize your honor, sacrifice, and your jobs well done, welcome home.

While he was unable to attend, Govenor Paul Lepage sent a letter to be read to the veterans. In this letter LePage apologized for being unable to attend and said that as a state and a nation what happened to the Vietnam Veterans would never happen again. LePage stated that “It is never too late to thank a veteran” and thanked the Vietnam Veterans on behalf of all the later veterans for getting the later veterans a welcome home.

Brigadier General Gerald Bolduc of the Maine Air National Guard also thanked Vietnam Veterans for changing how all other veterans came home. Bolduc stated how people walk up to him and thank him for his service, and while he says it is not necessary for him as he is just doing his job, it is necessary for Vietnam Veterans as “We can not fathom what it was like coming home like you”.

The final speaker before the closing statements of the ceremony was Major General John W. Libby, Retired. Libby started his speech by saying “I make no apologies” and gave his personal interpretation on what went wrong with the war. Libby said that Vietnam Veterans were guilty of only one thing during the war, and that was “Raising our right hand and swearing to support and defend the constitution.”

Libby then cautioned King and Poliquin, stating that “The cost of sending or men and women to war can not be measured in budgets,” and went on to explain how the generation of veterans had to be taken care of after the war.

Closing statements were made by Charles Knowlen of the Maine Troop Greeters, and he wrapped up by simply saying “I wish troop greeters were there over 50 years ago,” and after making a joke about how he would have been, but he was serving at the time, said “Thank you, Vietnam Veterans!”

Many volunteers turned out to welcome the Vietnam Veterans home, including Boy Scout troops 17 and 41 of the Katahdin Area Council and Team Red White Blue. Tom Turlo, Scoutmaster of Troop 41, said that his troop was reached out to by some event staff to volunteer.

“We agreed right on the spot,” said Turlo, who stated how this event was overdue and how there was no reason for the public to have gone after the soldiers after Vietnam.

Arthur Roy, another volunteer from troop 41, was also greeting veterans as they arrived. “We wanted to make sure our veterans were appreciated, it’s 40 years past due.” Roy said that he knew a couple of Vietnam Veterans and that very few of them talked about when they returned home. “Their silence speaks more,” said Roy.

During the interview, Roy offered his hand to a veteran and thanked the man for his service, and the veteran smiled and thanked Roy and the rest of the scouts for coming out to welcome them. “It’s humbling,” said Roy “to finally be part of something to let these men know their sacrifice was appreciated.”

One of the veterans in attendance was Dan Thompson, a Vietnam era veteran who served from 1961 to 1970. From 1967 to 1970, Thompson aided in burial services for fallen soldiers in which he presented the folded up American Flag to the next of kin. Thompson served on about 60 funeral details and recalls that at one he handed a young woman the flag and the woman attempted to spit on it; Thompson managed to block the spit with his hand. Thompson stated that the veterans “should have had all kinds of accolades and instead got nothing” and were ostracized and spit on.

After the event Congressman Poliquin, Poliquin said that he was “So thrilled to be part of this in thanking all our veterans.” Poliquin said that when he was first contacted about the event, he did not expect it to be as big as it became. “We have not done enough thanking for Vietnam Veterans.” Poliquin hopes that events like this will grow naturally and will hopefully spread nationwide.

Curtis Ayotte, staff assistant to Poliquin and a veteran who served two tours in Iraq, said that his return was “Not at all what our Vietnam Veterans had.” Ayotte stated that his return to the United States “… was incredible. It was a heartwarming experience.”

Ayotte said that it was because of Vietnam Veterans that he got the welcome home that he did. The country will not allow itself to treat veterans the way they were treated after Vietnam. Ayotte said “Today was an incredible day to thank and welcome home a Vietnam Veteran.”