PORT ANGELES — Welcome home, veterans.
The first event in the newly remodeled Clallam County Veterans Center will be the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony Saturday.
A coffee social is planned for all military veterans beginning at 11:30 a.m., with an observance to follow at 1 p.m.
The veterans center at 261 S. Francis St. in Port Angeles has been closed since November for an interior remodel.
The Saturday ceremony will feature Port Angeles Army veteran Norman Goodin and Marine Guy Iredale sharing their experiences in Vietnam.
Goodin drafted a 2010 proclamation that was signed by then-Gov. Chris Gregoire declaring March 30 as Welcome Home Veterans Day.
The day marks the anniversary of the end of American involvement in the Vietnam War in 1973.
Proclamation
Gary Velie, president of the Clallam County Veterans Association, will read the proclamation at the ceremony.
The observance will include a ceremonial folding of the flag, playing of taps, a POW/MIA table of remembrance, a prayer and the reading of the names of the 13 Clallam County veterans who died in the Vietnam conflict.
A light luncheon will follow the ceremony.
All military veterans are invited.
Clallam County hired Port Angeles contractor Aldergrove Construction Inc. to install new flooring, lights, cabinets, appliances and to paint the interior of the building.
After a series of minor change orders, the final cost of the project was $125,138.
“It looks nice,” said Goodin, who saw combat with the 1st Brigade of the 12th Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.
“It’s very clean.”
Clallam County commissioners signed the proclamation recognizing March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day on Tuesday.
The proclamation recognizes the Americans who served in Vietnam with “courage, honor, and valor.”
“More than 58,000 individuals made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam and more than 300,000 more were wounded in combat,” the proclamation reads.
“Whereas, 1,681 Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict, and their families, friends, and fellow veterans still endure uncertainty concerning their fate.”
This Monday marks the 42nd anniversary of the end of American involvement in the Vietnam War, the proclamation reads.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
