Valley pays tribute to Vietnam veterans with LZ-RGV event

MCALLEN — Tears, hugs and healing took place Saturday as Vietnam Era veterans gathered for the homecoming celebration they never received.

Wearing green camouflage clothing or their old military dress uniforms, thousands of veterans gathered at the McAllen Convention Center for LZ-RGV which stands for Landing Zone RGV, said Mike Carrera, co-executive producer for the event.

“Because the Vietnam War was fought in a jungle, the troops would land in what is called a landing zone,” Carrera said. “This is the RGV Landing Zone, sort of a way to describe their welcome home.”

The political environment and the society in general at the end of the Vietnam War was very fractured, said retired United States Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who was the event’s distinguished speaker. Sanchez is a Rio Grande City native who served in Dessert Storm and during the Iraqi War became the leader of the coalition forces.

“It was these warriors that were getting blamed for the policies of the country, so they were being treated in some cases very badly by certain segments of society, and we never really paid them the respect that they deserve,” Sanchez said.

“With the current war that we are experiencing, finally we realized that we really need to go back and correct that wrong ... I served at the tail end of the war and I didn’t actually go to Vietnam; but it is a tremendous honor to come back and, on behalf of the nation, welcome them back and thank them for their service.”

Modern American society now understands that warriors don’t go to war by choice but on the orders of their nation’s public leadership which is civilian controlled, Sanchez said, adding that society must take care of the warriors and their families who don’t fight for glory but simply to receive the thanks from their nation.

When asked about the recent political climate that almost shut down the government and left thousands of troops in combat without pay, the general said it would have been catastrophic.

“That’s part of the political wrangling that goes on in our political system. It would have been a real catastrophe for us if that had happened,” Sanchez said. “If the warriors that are in harm’s way had not been paid, that would have been a bad statement on our nation’s political leadership.”

As he walked around the displays for the event, veteran Army Ranger CSM David Castillo thought about the welcome home he never received.

“Back then, nobody liked us,” Castillo said as he choked back tears. “During the Vietnam War, we were called baby-killers. People would move out of the way not to be near us. Not to sound mean, but when I look at the veterans that come back now and the welcome that they get, well, it hurts… Nobody thanked us. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country. If they asked me right now to go to the Middle East and fight, I would go right now. I am ready.”

The bad welcoming those veterans received back then is something that George Estevan Solis, the commander for the 15^th District American Legion, not only knows about, but lived through.

“When I arrived from Vietnam at the Corpus Christi airport, I had been told to not wear my uniform in public,” Solis said. “I went to the restroom as soon as we landed and changed into civilian clothing.”

The sentiments described by Castillo and Solis are the exact reason LZ-RGV began in the first place, said event co-executive director Brian Godinez.

“It began about 15 months ago as a way to thank the veterans, and it just grew from there,” Godinez said. “This is their welcome home. Many of them didn’t have a choice, they were drafted. This is their day”

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez said the event served as a way to show appreciation for the soldiers who served.

“I see a lot of emotion here,” Cortez said. “This convention center was made for the public, and I can’t think of a better use for it than for this event. This is a day of healing, and this celebration has become a place to honor our veterans.”

Ildefonso Ortiz covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at 956-683-4437.