Just curious (Operation Homecoming)

[formergrunt70]

Hi all
I know this is a touchy subject with some of Us. I was thinking, Mmmm! after 4 days into the re-union(13 -20 June) and not one story or news media coverage that I have seen , unless I missed something. If this is the great welcome home celebration, You would think it would get a lots of publicity. So what gives? Just an observation from Me on this one. As You know it went from the original $100.00 to $79.95. Again just curious as to the turn-out. Hope no harm done here. Personally speaking, don't think it went off as well as expected.

[DMZ-LT]

Not a word in the newspaper here. I was going to go but ran short on time so I stopped two strangers and told them I would give them each $50 if they said "Welcome Home " to me. They did and I am very grateful to them.

[MORTARDUDE]

did some googling and found these things :

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http://www.geocities.com/c2502_101/branson.html


There will be a Contingency of 2/502 101st Airborne men attending the Branson
Operation Homecoming Reunion being held June 13th - June 19th in Branson Missouri.
Information on this event is listed below.
For further information Please contact Jim Brinker at brinker101@charter.net
2- 502 Infantry Vietnam Era 1965-1972 Get Together

There will be a reunion for all men that served in 2-502 Infantry in Vietnam from July 1965-January 1972.
2-502 associates, family, and friends are also invited. The reunion will be in conjunction with
Operation Homecoming at Branson, Missouri June 13th-19th 2005.

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http://www.infozine.com/news/stories...View/sid/7911/


Decorated Vietnam veteran, Robert Vaughan, is a spokesperson for the event . Vaughan is the author of Brandywine's War: Back in Country (Skyward Publishing, April 2005), an iconoclastic novel about helicopter flying inVietnam. This book is a sequel to his 1971 best selling novel, Brandywine's War, which he wrote while serving in Vietnam.

"This will be a true homecoming for those of us who carried the flag through the longest war in America's history - then came home to radical groups of people who threw bricks and spat upon us," says Vaughan. "Through the welcome home celebration we will finally be able to say out loud that we, too, served our country with dignity, pride and honor."

Vaughan is a sought-after speaker and author of more than 250 books. He is currently writing a documentary film about the Vietnam veteran for The History Channel.

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http://www.bransoncourier.com/article.php?news_ID=383



Recently the Ole Seagull received an email from a veteran, Ronald, of Sand Springs, OK. It succinctly stated what a number of people have been wondering about ?Branson?s Welcome Home?Americas?s Tribute to Vietnam Veterans.? Ronald said, ?In reference to this summer?s Vietnam Vet Reunion, Operation Homecoming. Why are all the other [Branson] reunions free to the groups that had homecomings but, ?the homecoming we never had? costs us $79.95. Proof of military service should be the ONLY requirement.? To that an Ole Seagull would humbly add, ?Amen.?

Why a community that has successfully run ?A Veterans Homecoming,? an event honoring all our nation?s veterans, for years without charging ?registration fees? would suddenly change that proven model boggles an Ole Seagull?s mind. What a curious way to give someone the homecoming they never received?

?But Seagull, once you pay it everything else is free??

?Not really. According to the Schedule of Events there is a $50 fee for the Fishing Tournament and a $50 fee for the Golf Tournament. Besides, if a person pays $79.95 how ?free? is any of it??

It seems that the major item included ?free? with the $79.95 ?Registration Fee? is color coded dog tags that serve as the admission to Saturdays Grand Finale Concert. According to the web site, the Grand Finale Tribute, ?Starts at 11:00 am and goes until after dark at an outdoor venue at Saddlebrooke? and is for ?registered attendees only.?

To some it will be a grand show but in a town full of great entertainment, that has honored veterans of all wars, including Vietnam, for decades it is but another show or is it? What if it rains? The website states that, ?No rain date or refunds given due to weather or acts of God.?

The T.V. ads, promotional pieces, and web site all stress that ?registration? for the event is $79.95 per person. As but one example, if one clicked on the ?Registration and Reservations? link off of the main page of the event site, http://www.operationhomecomingusa.com/index2.html, they would be told, under a caption entitled ?Registration Fee? that the ?Cost of registration for Welcome Home is $79.95 for each adult; $39.95 each for children 13 ? 17; children 12 and under free.?

?Whoa now Seagull, aren?t the vast majority of the activities during the week free like they are for the ?A Veterans Homecoming? event that has been run in Branson for years??

?Yes, there are basically only three activities that have a charge, the golf tournament, the fishing tournament, and the ?registration? for $79.95.?

And that?s the sad part, the impression that a lot of Vietnam Veterans like Ronald get about the registration fee, that they are being charged a fee for an event that is supposed to honor them. An impression that is in large part caused and reinforced by, the very advertising used to promote the event.

One can only wonder how many Vietnam veterans have been turned off to the event and possibly even Branson because of the registration fee. How many paid it thinking it was a requirement to attend the event? What reactions will they have when they discover that there was no requirement to pay a registration fee unless they wanted to go to the Grand Finale Concert, the cost of which, unlike the golf and fishing tournaments, was buried in the ?registration fee package??

From an Ole Seagull?s perspective, the good news is that Branson, as a community, and the vast majority those that are involved with the management and sponsorship of ?Branson?s Welcome Home?America?s Tribute to Vietnam Veterans? are, in fact, truly dedicated to honoring the Vietnam veteran. Too, there is still time to correct the erroneous impressions and misunderstandings that have been created.

In an Ole Seagull?s opinion, a major promotional effort should be immediately initiated to publicize that, as is the case with ?Branson?s A Veterans Homecoming,? there is no registration fee required to attend ?Branson?s Welcome Home?America?s Tribute to Vietnam Veterans.? Further, every veteran that has ?registered? should be notified that if they not want to attend the Grand Finale Concert that they can get their money back with no deduction of a $20 processing fee.

If there is one community in the country that can give the Vietnam veterans the homecoming they never had it is Branson, her people, and their spirit. Let?s do everything in our power to get as many Vietnam veterans to Branson as possible. No registration fees, just our sincere and heartfelt invitation to come and let a grateful community welcome them home.

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[MORTARDUDE]

documentary info :

http://press.arrivenet.com/ent/article.php/642298.html


History Channel to Film Documentary, Homecoming in Branson During America's Tribute to Vietnam Veterans
BRANSON, Mo. - During America's Tribute to Vietnam Veterans in Branson June 13-19, the History Channel will be filming a documentary under the direction of Emmy nominated and award winning producers and written by a Pulitzer nominee.
Distribution Source : PRWeb

Date : Monday - May 23, 2005



(PRWEB) May 23, 2005 -- Plans for the documentary, Homecoming, were revealed Friday by representatives of the Branson Veterans Task Force, Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, Operation Homecoming USA and Skyward Publishing Company. Sammy Jackson, producer, director and editor of the documentary, was introduced along with producer and writer, Robert Vaughan and producer, Shirleen Sando.

The documentary has been expanded to include more than the weeklong event and will also chronicle the histories of Vietnam veterans. The two-hour program will air about mid-2006, according to Jackson, who is producer, director, writer and editor of numerous highly acclaimed documentary programs.

"Many Vietnam veterans are anticipating the welcome home and this event will bring them to Branson. We do not know just how everything will go yet, but this will be a pilgrimage a lot of Vietnam veterans are willing to make as they attempt to heal and get the welcome home that they deserved and never received. We are going to film this documentary to record that well deserved welcome home. We will be filming the veterans on their way to Branson, during all of the varied activities and when it is finished," said Jackson. His work represents some of the most dramatic, poignant and tragic moments in world history including the Emmy nominated programs, The Day the Towers Fell, Eyewitness in Iraq, The Rape of Nanking, War Crimes and many others for the networks and international broadcast. His association over the years with Lou Reda Productions (Lou Reda is Executive Producer of Homecoming) has garnered both acclaim and some of the highest rated programs on national television.





"I got involved with Gary (Linderer) and all I wanted to do was help out with the project. I have been promoting it on more than 50 talk shows ever since. I live in Alabama and we will be forming a convoy of Vietnam veterans and heading north to Branson for the welcome home ceremony. We will be having veterans join our convoy as it travels to Branson and we expect to have a good number join us in Jonesboro, Ark. where we will stop and relax. We expect to roll into Branson with a lot of veterans from the south. I am very excited about this event," said Vaughan, who is a best selling author (New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller lists) of 250 titles and 20 million books including his most recent Brandywine's War: Back in Country. Vaughan authored the Valkyrie Mandate, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and Andersonville, which was made into the popular TNT television mini-series. Vaughan is a retired army warrant officer, a helicopter pilot, who served in Germany, Korea, and three tours in Vietnam. For his combat tours, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with the "V" Device, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal.

Dr. Dale Smith, chairman of the board of the Branson Veterans Task Force, said the non-profit group "supports responsible efforts of gathering the stories of this nation's veterans. We currently support the Veterans History Project with the Library of Congress and are especially supportive of preserving the Vietnam veterans' stories. We applaud Ms. Sando's and Vaughan's efforts in helping make this documentary become a reality. We also applaud Gary Linderer and Steve Presley for their insight and hard work with Operation Homecoming USA and this history-making welcome home for Vietnam veterans."

"We are honored to bring the (Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience) to Branson and we plan to have the wall escorted by several thousand motorcycles as it heads for the Grand Palace. The purpose of the wall is to give those who cannot go to Washington, DC to see the memorial a chance to experience that special feeling that it brings to Vietnam veterans and the public. This is our way of saying welcome home to all Vietnam veterans," said Jeff Hicks, Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience representative. He said the three-quarter size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall will be in Branson for the entire week rather than the normal three day limit in one location.

Sando said interviews will take place with the crew visiting various veterans' groups during the week along with the many activities, with the convoy and a rally to take place June 12 welcoming the convoy and the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall Experience crew as they arrive and erect the wall. Sando is president of Skyward Publishing, serves as director for Ozark Writers Incorporated and newsletter editor for Authorsource.biz. She announced a commemorative book coordinating with the documentary will be published by Skyward Publishing and a PBS pending project, a spin-off from the documentary.

"We have had our ups and downs and we have had some detractors along the way. We have 30 days left until (America's Tribute to Vietnam Veterans) happens and this will be something very special, not only for the Vietnam veterans, but also the City of Branson. A lot of us Vietnam veterans thought something like this would never happen and I want to tell you that this will be a healing process for a lot of those who attend. This will help correct the damage done when these veterans were disrespected by the nation that sent them to Vietnam. It is fitting that it will happen here in Branson where veterans from all wars are welcome," said Linderer.

BVTF works to promote an environment of patriotic pride and dignity to recognize and honor the nation's veterans and their families. In addition to the Veterans History Project, the BVTF hosts the nation's largest Veterans Day event, Veterans Homecoming held during Veterans Week in November. The organization also supports Operation Homecoming USA's Welcome Home...America's Tribute to Vietnam Veterans during which a large part of the filming for the History Channel documentary will be done. The week-long event has the specific mission of providing Vietnam veterans the national homecoming they never received. Operation Homecoming USA is anticipating tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans to attend.

"This is a community with a common goal - that"s to make people"s lives happier. I appreciate being a part of that. Perhaps we can be a beacon of light for other communities and we can find our common purpose," said Smith.

For more information about BVTF go to bransonveterans.com or call 417-337-VETS. For more information about Skyward Publishing go to www.skywardpublishing.com. For more information about Operation Homecoming go to operationhomecomingusa.com.


Linda Ward Public Relations
176 Corporate Place
Branson, MO 65616
417-332-0167 phone
417-334-4253 fax
417-230-4371 cell
email protected from spam bots

[MORTARDUDE]

You are correct Topp, the national news media has completely shut this out..............now that Jacko is free, they will have to find a new pervert of the week...........sad, very sad...

Larry

[formergrunt70]

Larry I appreciate the research, and I don't mean to sound sarcastic, but with all the stuff on web pages, don't suppose old homeless Vet Sgt "Joe Smoe" may be walking around with a laptop. Nothing personal Larry. And You know We live in the same town, and nothing here has gave us vets one hint about the re-union. Now on the positve side, Barnhill's in Bartlett for lunch on Monday? Have some stuff that I need to let go. If not , You pick a date.
Later
Topp

[MORTARDUDE]

Topp :

That would be super man !!! Just call me the night before so I don't forget. You are also right, I didn't see or hear anything at the Vet Center about this..It should have been... bring a copy of your DD214 and get in free...some homecoming...how does 12:30 sound on Monday ( I will be at the Vet Center from 10 -11 AM ) ? You can come down or I will pick you up, just le me know ?

May God Bless you and your family,

Larry

[formergrunt70]

I'll get on line with You tonite, don't want to take away from the above post.
I'll call You tonite.

[MORTARDUDE]

ok I am sendin u a PM now..

larry