WATERVILLE — Welcome home.
That was the message delivered by more than 1,000 Maine residents Thursday to Vietnam veterans at Head of Falls. More than 300 Vietnam veterans marched one by one across the Two-Cent Bridge and through a reception line that included 2nd District U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, Mayor Karen Heck, state representatives, soldiers, families and friends.
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The welcome was half a century late.
Soldiers returning home from the Vietnam War received a chilly, sometimes hostile reception. The Vietnam Veteran Homecoming was an opportunity to set things right, organizers said.
Registration for the homecoming began at 5 p.m. in Winslow. Hundreds of veterans, dressed in everything from pristine uniforms to shorts and sandals, gathered on a hilltop overlooking the Kennebec River and waited for the start of the two-hour ceremony. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Terry Roberson was one of them.
Roberson, 69, of Thomaston, served in Vietnam in 1965 and ’66. When he first arrived, he dropped his seabag at a base, and wouldn’t see it again for 18 months. For more than a year, he lived in the jungle alongside other Marines, killed Viet Cong soldiers and watched good friends die.
When his tour of duty ended, Roberson returned home in the midst of an airline strike and a country on the verge of turmoil. The only way to get from the base in California to his home in Maine was a five-day journey by Greyhound bus. He wore his uniform for the entire trip, which sometimes provoked strong reactions. On the first leg of the trip, college students pelted the bus with vegetables. More often, however, he was ignored.
“It was like I was poison,” he said. “That’s what I felt like. Nobody said anything to me. No one ever said ‘Welcome home.'”
The Maine State Police Pipes & Drums band led the veterans down a path to the Two-Cent Bridge. Then at 6, the veterans marched one at a time toward Waterville.
As each person passed under a 40-foot American flag, an announcer called out the veteran’s name, branch of service and hometown.
Veterans arrived Thursday from all corners of Maine — Fort Kent, Portland, Deer Isle, Farmington — and several other New England states. Soldiers who were killed in action, or who died after returning home, were often represented by family members and friends. Heck crossed the bridge holding a photo of her uncle. Tina Richard, of Clinton, walked in honor of her father, Richard Philbrick, who died at age 58.
“He would have been so proud of this,” Richard said, fighting back tears. “I miss him so much.”
The Vietnam Veteran Homecoming was planned by three veterans: Kennebec Sheriff Randy Liberty, Col. Jack Mosher of the Maine Army National Guard and Peter Ogden, director of Maine Veteran Services. The event coincided with Flag Day, and it was the first in a 13-year series of annual events tentatively planned for other communities throughout Maine.
During the next decade and beyond, the events will mark the 50th anniversaries of service members returning home after serving tours between 1961 and 1975. There are 46,000 Vietnam veterans living in the state, and 150,000 who have served the military during periods of war and peace.
When Roberson arrived on the western side of the bridge, he was all smiles. He said he’ll never forget Vietnam, but he’s working toward coming to terms with it. He attends regular group therapy sessions at VA Maine Healthcare System-Togus, and said the homecoming was one more step in a long healing process.
“It’s overwhelming,” he said. “It’s so emotional. I’m so thankful to so many people.”
After a series of speeches by the organizers, Michaud and others, veterans were honored with a 21-round Howitzer salute, and two trumpeters — one on either side of the river — played Taps.
Ben McCanna — 861-9239
bmccanna@centralmaine.com
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