On the evening of October 5, 2024, the Agent Orange ceremony was held at the Jackson River Sports Complex during the weekend-long visit of the Wall that Heals. The Wall that Heals is a three-quarter scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall located in Washington, D.C. that honors the men and women who either died during Vietnam or as a result of it.
During Saturday night's ceremony, Post Commander of the VFW Post 1033, Shawn Wright, gave a welcome speech which included a thorough explanation of Agent Orange, a highly toxic chemical herbicide that was used defensively by the United States Military. Wright described Agent Orange as "mighty" and "a mass of destruction." According to Wright, Agent Orange has made its way all around the world since its initial use in Vietnam and been a killer for four generations, causing birth defects and unusual cell mutations for those who have been exposed to it.
In addition to Wright, speakers included Reverend Douglas Hollenbeck, RPC, US retired Navy; LTC Jesse Lockhart, Tasha Walsh, CEO of ConnectionsPlus Healthcare & Hospice; and William Atherholt, Quartermaster of the VFW Post 1033.
Lockhart shared a moving story about his late friend, 1st Lt. Gary Lee Miller. Miller —a platoon leader— served alongside Lockhart when their Infantry was tasked with invading the Cambodian Sanctuaries. During their infiltration, they were attacked. Suddenly, a grenade was thrown which hit Lockhart in the chest. Instinctively, he shouted "Grenade!" and all of the men took cover with the exception of Miller, who threw himself on the live grenade, absorbed the force, and saved his Infantry. |  | From left to right: Logan Large; Pat Martin; Rev. Douglas Hollenbeck; Jesse Lockhart; Shawn Wright, Post Commander of the VFW Post 1033; Jennifer Unroe; and Tasha Walsh, CEO of ConnectionsPlus.
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