Palmetto's Veterans Day parade honors Vietnam veterans with 'Welcome Home' theme
PALMETTO -- A single tear rolled down the cheek of U.S. Air Force veteran Richard Sutton as he and other Vietnam veterans sat Wednesday across from Sutton Park for the annual Veterans Day parade.
The park is named after his nephew, Ben Sutton, a Palmetto native who died when his helicopter crashed during a combat assault mission in 1969, killing all four crew members.
"This means everything to me," said Sutton, who flew missions over the Gulf of Tonkin in the early days of the war and beyond. "I saw a lot of guys get blown out of the sky."
The annual parade theme of "Welcome Home Vietnam Vets" honored an entire generation of American warriors who weren't welcomed home with parades. They often were greeted with hostility.
"When I first came back, I couldn't even tell people I served," said U.S. Army veteran Michael Brennan, who served in Vietnam in 1968. "If I did, I was called a baby killer." Brennan said it took more than 10 years after the conflict ended before Vietnam veterans began to be embraced for their service. Decades later, the country has come full circle in celebrating all of its warriors but Brennan said: "We can do better."
The parade was an opportunity for citizens to celebrate all veterans. For the veterans, it was a time to celebrate one another with the kind of camaraderie only brothers-in-arms can understand.
"For me, this is an opportunity to celebrate with my fellow veterans and honor the ones we left behind and welcome home all veterans, but especially Vietnam veterans who never got that," said Brennan.
Sutton, who retired in 1970, two years after his nephew gave his life, said the day is important to acknowledge the brotherhood of all those who served.
Gary Tibbetts, special assistant to Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarsota, said the percentage of residents in Manatee-Sarasota who are veterans is one of the highest in the nation.
"Today is all about honoring our veterans who sacrificed so much to protect our way of life," said Tibbetts. "And to make sure we do everything we can to give back to them with all the assistance they need for their well being."
The Manatee County Veteran's Council hosted the parade. After the parade, which featured several local high school ROTC programs, retired U.S. Army Col. Gil Ruderman delivered the keynote address.
Stuart "Stu" Taube of American Legion Post 325 was honored as Veteran of the Year and American Legion Kirby Stewart Post 24 Sons auxiliary member James "Jim" Brown was named Auxiliary Member of the Year. Palmetto resident Geoff Segar was honored as Non-Veteran of the Year.
Liz Casteel, a Palmetto High School teacher, stood along the parade route lined with hundreds of people, her two young sons waving frantically as various veterans groups passed by.
Casteel comes from a long line of veterans representing multiple branches of service. Wednesday was an important day for her family, she said.
"I just talked to my sons about why we are out here today," said Casteel. "We are very proud of our veterans and the only unfortunate thing is that we get this one day a year to celebrate them when it should be every day."
A few yards away, a young boy echoed that sentiment with a simple statement to those marching by when he yelled: "Go, America."
Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter@urbanmark2014.
This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Palmetto's Veterans Day parade honors Vietnam veterans with 'Welcome Home' theme ."