Band of Brothers honors Vietnam veterans with special ceremony and pins

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As Vietnam Veterans Day approaches, the Band of Brothers held a special ceremony in Redmond on Friday to honor those who served. The Vietnam veterans were presented with special pins and talked about their feelings about the war, nearly 50 years after it ended.

While Vietnam Veterans Day is officially commemorated on Saturday, Redmond honored the veterans on Friday, as a special ceremony was held at Hospice of Redmond. The Band of Brothers presented the colors, as bagpipes and Taps were played.

Veterans in the audience were called out and recognized for their service.

KTVZ News spoke with Vietnam veterans, asking them to share their thoughts and feelings.

Army Vietnam veteran Larry Morris said, "So I came back whole and I, you know, us guys that come back whole, we kind of feel guilty about coming back without a scratch type of thing, but mentally is different, but physically types of things. That's why I come here, and I honor their memory."

Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Brian Kellogg said, "It brings back a lot of memories, and gratitude for folks that recognize what we did."

A major part of the ceremony was the distribution of a Vietnam veterans lapel pin. This pin was given to all US veterans who served in the war as part of an order initiated 13 years ago by former President Barack Obama.

April 30th of this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.