We, VFW Post 1949, do not know how to start thanking the people of Enumclaw for the “Welcome Home” to all our veterans. It started with the Fourth of July parade with the flag waving and cheers as our veterans came down Cole Street. Tears flowed and emotions of thankfulness were in the hearts of the veterans. As one of the participants said, “It’s been over 50 years and we finally got this, wow.”

The Moving Wall Vietnam Memorial would not have been possible if it was not for all the volunteers, The City of Enumclaw, Enumclaw School District, Enumclaw Police Department, KCFD 28, King County Sheriffs Department, Chamber of Commerce and so many others. A special thanks from our hearts goes out to some special folks, too numerous to name but they know who they are.

The Vietnam wall is called “the healing wall” for a purpose as the appearance of it here started the healing process for a lot of veterans here and continued it for others. Tears and emotions were calmed with hugs and understanding. It’s a continuous process, sometimes daily.

The next time you see a Vietnam veteran, or any veteran, tell them “Welcome Home” not just “thank you for your service.” “Welcome Home” is from the heart, not just a generic statement.

Keith Mathews

Enumclaw