Not all Vietnam veterans received the welcome home they had hoped for 50 years ago, but it's never too late to say thank you to the soldiers who fought for our country.
On Thursday, they were honored at a ceremony in Annapolis where veterans were pinned for their service.
The American Associations of Retired Persons (AARP) also wanted to introduce vets to their elected officials and to bring attention to the issues that affect their futures and well-being.
“There's a lot of policy issues that they do down here that affect their lives. They affect their ability to age and stay in place, they affect how they can afford to pay their utility bills, it affects their health, their wealth, and their self and that's why it's important,” said Tammy Bresnahan, the advocacy director for AARP Maryland.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is also a Vietnam veteran but did not face battle. He attended the ceremony and expressed concerns over not having more veterans in office.
“We lose people that have a serious sense of responsibility and a maturity and they're adults because of the military service and we miss that. Whether they're liberal or conservative or republican or democrat we need more veterans in elected office,” said Franchot.
This was the first annual Vietnam Veterans Legislative Day in Annapolis.
