Vietnam Veterans Welcomed to School

COLD SPRING – Though 1968 may have been a “tough” homecoming for Vietnam veteran Tom Hynes, times have changed. This societal embrace was no more apparent than in the warm welcome of Hynes and fellow veterans John Bailey (Navy) and Kim Ford (Army Reserves) last week by the K-Kids of Maud Abrams Elementary.  
After presiding over a flag lowering during which retired music teacher John Levai played “Taps,” the veterans demonstrated the proper folding of the flag, showed photos and answered questions about their military service.     
To help instill a sense of reverence for the flag and military personnel who serve, Hynes later recalled a period when the uniform he wore engendered contempt rather than respect.
“When I came home, people were yelling at us. It wasn’t pleasant,” Hynes recounted of his 1968 arrival in Oakland, Calif. following a one-year tour in Vietnam.
A Specialist 5th Class in the 1st Infantry Division of the Army, Hynes explained he was drafted. “When I was called, I went. I served. And I was one of the lucky ones. I came home.” Two of Hynes’ best friends did not.  
The tide of public opinion toward his generation of servicemen and women has taken on a more positive tone, according to Hynes, albeit belatedly. It’s a proper stance, he believes, for all veterans, current and retired.
“They’re serving their country. They’re not political animals.”
In that vein, the students were encouraged to thank veterans, not only on Veterans Day but every chance they get.