Vietnam Vets Pull Out Of Homecoming Parade Over Spot In Line-up

A Vietnam veterans organization, unhappy about their placement in the line-up, pulled out of the Sept. 29 Glenwood Homecoming Parade.

In a letter submitted to The Opinion-Tribune, Ben Wiese, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 798, said members of the organization were “denied a place in the Glenwood Color Guard” and told “they could either march in the middle of parade or go home,” a claim adamantly disputed by parade organizers.

Parade committee spokesman Larry Lincoln said  the pre-determined line-up called for the Vietnam Veterans to be “sixth or seventh” in the parade, behind the color guard from American Legion Post 141, Legion Riders, the Tabor Veterans of Foreign of Wars post and a large American flag carried by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The parade typically has up to 100 entries. Lincoln offered a copy of the parade line-up to back his statement.

“All the military groups go first, they would be toward the front - not in the middle. They knew that, he was just being difficult,” Lincoln said. “We line them up alphabetically. They wanted to be No. 2 in the military groups - up with the legion color guard. We meant no disrespect. I’m not a Vietnam veteran, but I am a veteran of the military and I want to honor them all.”

Lincoln said he told Wiese the Vietnam Veterans group could either accept their designated spot in the parade or not participate.

“I did tell them you’re going to either march here or you’re not going to march,” he said.
Wiese called the parade incident a “bitter pill to swallow” for the Vietnam veterans.

“Decades ago, they had returned home from Southeast Asia amid the sneers and jeers of an ungrateful nation,” Wiese stated. “Now, they’re treated like strays and (figuratively) spit on again.”

Lincoln said the incident wasn’t the first time the Vietnam Veterans group has clashed with homecoming parade organizers.

“We had trouble with this group a couple years ago,” Lincoln said. “I make mistakes, but I didn’t make a mistake on this one.

“This was almost a perfect (homecoming) weekend. Nobody got hurt. Safety is the No. 1 goal of the parade. We want everybody to have a good time. Most people did, but these guys apparently did not have a good time.”