A National Vietnam War Veterans Day event will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 30, at Veterans Memorial Park at the Lake Charles Civic Center.
Guest speaker will be Col. William S. Reeder, Jr., 361st AWC-AH-1G Cobra Pilot. A former prisoner- -of-war, he is the author of “Through the Valley: My Captivity in Vietnam.” At the event, he will share his personal account of being the last United States Army prisoner of war captured during the Vietnam War. Col. Reeder spent 320 days in captivity.
Following the program, the Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission members will distribute official 50th year commemoration lapel pins to all Vietnam veterans at the ceremony.
Vietnam War veterans are defined as anyone with the United States Armed Forces personnel with active duty service years from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975 - regardless of location of service.
Refreshments will be available following the ceremony and the public is invited to attend. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside the Lake Charles Civic Center on the second-floor mezzanine.
The event is being hosted by the City of Lake Charles and the Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission and is sponsored by Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue, Coca-Cola, Henderson Implement, Hunt Brothers Pizza, K-Jon Sewer & Septic Service, Sam’s Club, Hampton Inn, and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department. Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission sponsors are Acadian Ambulance, Billy Navarre, Calcasieu Refining, Ferrara RevGroup, Johnson Funeral Home, Lu Creager/Team LC Latter & Blum, Moffett Realty, Inc., Stine and Suddenlink by Altice
For more information, visit www.cppj.net/veterans.
