AJC > NorthSide > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHow are you observing Veterans Day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you work for the government, Veterans Day is today, Friday, a holiday for many government offices. The traditional holiday is tomorrow, Nov. 11.
If you’re a northsider, you can choose from parades in Marietta, downtown Atlanta, and observances/celebrations in Dawsonville, Suwanee and Acworth.
Here’s a link to find more Veterans Day events. (Or if you like maps, here’s a link where you can see where the events are, at a glance.
If you know of an event that’s not listed above, you can post it under the comments section. This is also a place where you can offer your thoughts about this Veterans Day 2006.
Meanwhile, the Northside staff has compiled a special report for Veterans Day, telling the stories of three veterans in their own words.
You can start with a multimedia photo gallery telling the veterans stories.
Here’s a excerpt from the text of the story told by Ken Turner, a Vietnam veteran from Smyrna:
(Photo by Andy Sharp/AJC)
Branch of service: U.S. Army
I served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam conflict. I entered as a buck sergeant and retired as a staff sergeant. I went to Vietnam in August 1968 and served five months and eight days before I was seriously wounded. I have two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.
A few years ago, one of the men in my platoon looked for my name on a traveling exhibit of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He figured that I had died. When he didn’t see my name, he called 10 Ken Turners around the country until he found me. We now get together in Kansas once a year for a platoon reunion.
I was running an operation as platoon sergeant on Jan. 11, 1969, when we went through a mine field. Three of my men were killed and 13 wounded. I was the most severely wounded without being dead.
I lost both legs, one above the knee and one below. Both of my arms and my guts were messed up. They wanted to amputate my right arm, but I wouldn’t let them. It was harder to learn to write with my left hand than to learn to walk on prosthetic legs.
I met my wife, Lana, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Atlanta where she was a nurse and I was doing rehabilitation. I was discharged after 21 months in the hospital.
Read the full story, see pictures and listen to audio.
Comments
By JR
November 10, 2006 09:31 AM | Link to this
My wife is in the military and currently in the Middle East scheduled to be home in nine days. I will spend Veterans Day thinking of her and and how proud I am of her and counting down the days and minutes until I see her face to face and know she is okay. Also, I will work on my honey do list of things that had dang better be done by the time she gets back. I love her and miss her so much I am about to bust!