Columbia, SC (WLTX) - More than forty years have passed and Vietnam Veterans have received a welcome home they’ve been waiting on for decades.
One thing we do as Americans is thank those who have sacrificed for our country and help us keep our freedoms. Not every veteran in our history was treated with honor and respect when they returned home from war.
Four decades have passed, and Robert Brown can still feel the pain from returning back to the United States from war.
"When I first came home from Vietnam, I was spat on, and called names. I served diligently for more than a year. To come home to get that kind of treatment, it was awful," explained Robert Brown.
Purple Heart recipient Johnny Wilson was shot eleven times while sacrificing for his country.
"It brought tears to my eyes. It's about time. I was hit in both arms, both legs, the chest, the back, through the ankle. All I wanted to do was survive. It was worth it. It was worth every piece of lead that I carried," said Wilson.
Thursday at the South Carolina State House, Gov. Henry McMaster declared March 29 "South Carolina Vietnam Veterans Day."
"(I) encourage all South Carolinians to honor, recognize, and thank those who answered the call to serve," said McMaster.
Veterans like Stan Brown says it feels great to finally know their service is appreciated.
"It’s an honor to serve our country. It's a welcome home that we've long been waiting for that we never got. A lot of veterans are coming home today. They need to be recognized too,” said Stan Brown.
Wilson says having a day dedicated to Vietnam veterans will help them move forward.
"We are glad. This is a little bit of a healing for what we put up with,” said Wilson.
McMaster says the Vietnam Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 signed by President Trump will ensure that Vietnam Veterans will be recognized every year on March 29.