The first of several get-togethers this year!
for Members, Auxiliary Members, Veterans, Spouses and Families
There will be no charge for breakfast.
March 23, 8:00 – 11:00 am.
Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q
9828 Dallas Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034
Donations Accepted
At its upcoming Tuesday, March 19, 2024, meeting, the Frisco City Council will thank and honor Vietnam Veterans and their families by proclamation. The recognition will be held in Council Chambers at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center, 6101 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco, Texas 75034. Please arrive by 6:30pm.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law by 45th U.S. President Donald J. Trump, designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This special day joins six other military-centric annual observances, among them Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day.
March 29 was a fitting choice for a day honoring Vietnam Veterans. It was chosen to be observed in perpetuity as March 29, 1973, was the day United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished, and the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day, Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war.
Note that no distinction exists between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War. All were called to serve, and none could self-determine where they would serve.
The VA estimates that today there are more than 7 million U.S. Vietnam veterans living in America and abroad, along with 10 million families of those who served during this timeframe.
Vietnam veterans make up more than 50% of the more than 425 members of American Legion Post 178.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Replica Wall and Mobile Education Center spreads healing legacy of The Wall and educates about the impact of the Vietnam War.
The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Frisco, Texas on MAY 2–5, 2024 at GRAND PARK (7275 Dallas Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034) and will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public. The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War, and it bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
The Wall That Heals travels in a 53-foot trailer, unfolding into a mobile Education Center when parked, recounting the Vietnam War’s story. The three-quarter scale replica, 375 feet long and 7.5 feet high, lets visitors experience The Wall’s towering presence, with the opportunity to make name rubbings of service members.
The mobile Education Center exhibit features several components: digital photo displays showcasing “Hometown Heroes” – service members listed on The Wall with their hometown from Frisco and its neighboring communities; digital photo displays honoring local Vietnam veterans through VVMF’s In Memory program; video displays providing insights into the history and significance of The Wall; educational exhibits depicting items typically left at The Wall in D.C.; a replica of the In Memory plaque; a map of Vietnam; and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War. These exhibits collectively narrate the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall, and the era surrounding the conflict. They aim to offer a historical and cultural framework to understand the American experiences in Vietnam.
The 2024 national The Wall That Heals tour is generously sponsored by USAA. Through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), the trucking industry, and Blue Beacon, the exhibit is able to travel across the country.
Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been displayed in over 700 U.S. communities. The Wall That Heals is run by VVMF, the nonprofit behind the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. It is the only traveling exhibit linked to The Wall, featuring its largest replica. Two VVMF staff members lead local volunteers, interact with visitors and students, and ensure the respectful atmosphere of The Wall. For more, visit: www.thewallthatheals.org.
Frisco VFW Post 8273 coordinated arrangements for The Wall That Heals to visit Frisco.
About VVMF
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington D.C. in 1982. It continues to honor and pay tribute to our nation’s Vietnam veterans and families Their mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America, educating all generations about the Vietnam War’s impact and era through various programs, ceremonies, and educational materials. For more, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202- 393-0090.
The head table and backdrop
The Lebanon Trail Navy National Defense Cadet Corps held their first military ball on February 24, 2024, at the Frisco Stonebriar Country Club. The event was a smashing success as more than one hundred of the cadets in this year’s program attended.
Major Gary Billings, USMC, Ret, Senior Naval Science Instructor, and Lt Col Ivan Acosta, USAF, Ret, Naval Science Instructor, welcomed the cadets and orchestrated the program. Larry Wilhelm, Post 178 Executive Committee Member, also attended and enjoyed the evening.
The evening afforded the cadets an opportunity to learn about traditional formal military dining, dress, and etiquette, while at the same time enjoying the camaraderie with fellow cadets and dancing late into the evening.
John Allen (center) helps Deborah and Scott Dillingham display hundreds of cookies they baked and donated to the Bonham Home Veterans.
Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January, celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. He was an influential American civil rights leader well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States. A Baptist minister who advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation. He first came to national prominence during a bus boycott by African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and led the 1963 March on Washington. The most influential of African American civil rights leaders during the 1960s, he was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The day is usually celebrated with marches and parades and with speeches by civil rights and political leaders.