TAMPA, Fla — When soldiers from the Vietnam War came home, they were not told thank you for their service. Instead, many still live today with a chip on their shoulder.
Hillsborough County is hosting an event at Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa on Saturday to honor and thank veterans ahead of National Vietnam War Veterans Day on Sunday.
WATCH: Hillsborough County honors local Vietnam veterans with a special weekend event at Veterans Memorial Park
The event begins at eight o'clock in the morning and will continue into the afternoon. It features a working-dog demonstration, food, and a classic-car cruise.
Tampa Bay 28 Reporter Blake Phillips spent Friday with two local Vietnam veterans, Herman Rainey and Mike O'Dell, at Veterans Memorial Park. The park hosts a Vietnam War memorial inside the museum and outside on the lawn.
For Rainey, the memories of his time in Vietnam live in his head and in a photo album. Looking through the album, he pointed out photos of himself crossing a footbridge, holding a gun and getting ready to come home. His service came with a price that many others who served in Vietnam remember all too well.
"We stayed in our own little world, you know, we didn't get out and socialize," Rainey said.
"They shouldn't have been treated the way they were treated, and you know now we're getting thanked for being there and doing what we did for our country, but long overdue," O'Dell said.
The park is a place where Rainey, O'Dell, and other veterans can come and feel that "thank you," even if it will not make up for the time lost.
"It's nice to have people that say thank you and mean it and not just in passing," O'Dell said.
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