Franklin County, state, partner to serve veterans with gift

The Iowa Veterans Commission and Franklin County Veterans Affairs Commission have joined forces to honor local Vietnam veterans for their service overseas with a physical tribute.
When many Vietnam veterans returned to American soil close to 50 years ago, they were met with disrespect, said Dan Gannon, chair of the Iowa Veterans Commission. Today’s America is very different, he added, and citizens now hold the ability to separate warriors from the war. What started as a project to represent that sentiment in several states — put together by Remember My Service (RMS), a company that makes books to commemorate the legacy of service members —has grown into a national effort to recognize Vietnam veterans with a customized commemorative book. The project reached Iowa over the last month.
“We can’t ever forget the sacrifices that our veterans made for our freedoms,” Gannon said of the project’s importance. “And if we quit doing activities like this, if we stop talking about it, then it will be forgotten. We’re continually telling the story of the sacrifices that they made.”
Read the full article in the July 19 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.