Upcoming: 6th Annual Welcome Home Vietnam Vets Celebration

March Field Air Museum will be hosting its sixth annual Welcome Home Vietnam Vets Celebration on Saturday, March 28. The museum is open free to all Vietnam vets and their families that day. The museum is open 9-4 p.m. with the official program beginning at 11 a.m. At the conclusion of the program a free lunch will be served for Vietnam vets and their immediate families. The luncheon is sponsored by Riverside County District Five. On Sept. 25, 2009 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, accompanied by General Assembly member Paul Cook and Welcome Home Vietnam Vets Day (WHVVDF) founder Jose Ramos, appeared at Twenty-Nine Palms Marine Base to sign AB717 which establishes a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day in California every March 30. March Field Air Museum has sponsored its own annual celebration since the legislation became official. Museum Director Patricia Korzec said, “This is a perfect opportunity for all of us finally welcome home those once forgotten soldiers. It’s also an important day for our youth who can learn more about the war and listen to the first hand experiences of the men and women who lived it.” Mikey Diaz, Vietnam War USAF Staff Sergeant will be the keynote speaker followed by an open mic for all vets. The program also includes a performance by the pipers of the LAPD Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Corps. The museum gift store will also be featuring the hand made jewelry of Vietnam cet Bruce Smith who crafts specialized beaded necklaces and bracelets for Vietnam vets. Regular museum admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 12. March Field Air Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.