Peoria Veterans honor 49th anniversary end of Vietnam War with trip to Washington

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - 75 service members, and one service dog made the trek to Washington Tuesday.

Among them, Vietnam war veteran Jerry Wright.

“I was a draftee for two years, and I was not a supporter of the war,” said Wright.

He says his time abroad was a complicated one.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I wouldn’t want to do it again.”

For Vietnam Veteran Carl Lehman, it’s the first time he’s seen the memorials, and it’s bittersweet.

“I cannot stand the Vietnam War wall because I break down too bad, because I lost a few friends over there. And it’s kind of hard because I told them that I would take care of them,” said Lehman.

He says the war didn’t end when he came home. He’s carried the weight of war for almost 50 years.

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