Dozens of people gathered Wednesday to honor veterans of the Vietnam War. A VFW Post in East Moline hosted the annual Vietnam Veterans Day Remembrance Ceremony.
This was the fourth such ceremony since former President Obama declared today (3/29) as Vietnam Veterans Day in 2012. Participants read the names of nearly 200 local soldiers who were killed in Vietnam, and gave them a 21 gun salute.
Frank Perez, president of The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 669, says the ceremony was a reminder of the impact the Vietnam War had on the Quad Cities.
"When you sit down and someone says we're going to read the names of 200 veterans killed in the war from this area, you don't understand how monumental that is until you sit down for 30 minutes and hear all those names mentioned."
Perez says about 500 veterans are involved with the local Vietnam veterans association.
The ceremony ended with a presentation of the flag to a man who's brother was killed in action in 1970.
