Time to honor our Vietnam vets
To the editor:
This coming Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. the Lee County School District will hold its seventh annual “Pride and Patriotism Program” at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. This yearly celebration showcases the patriotic writing, musical and artistic talents of our students while paying tribute to our veterans. This year’s program will give special recognition to our Vietnam veterans – our prodigal sons. The parable of the prodigal or lost son is found in Luke 15:11-31. There was a man who had two sons. The younger one asked for and was given his inheritance early and traveled to distant lands spending everything he was given and became destitute; the other son stayed home. Years later, the younger son, upon his return home, was greeted by his father who was overjoyed at his return. He met him with open arms and killed a fatted calf in celebration of his son’s return. What if the father had not welcomed him home? Such are the prodigal sons of Vietnam, who as patriots spent their blood in a distant land and returned home. Tuesday, Nov. 10 is our opportunity as a community to extend our hand to our prodigal sons and say, “Welcome home, brother.”
Seats for the event are only $7 and may be purchased at the Southwest Florida Symphony office or at the Barbara B. Mann box office.
Col. William P. Deile, USA (ret)
Vietnam 1968-69