The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters will thank the state's Vietnam veterans for their service to our country with a gala event at Charlotte Motor Speedway March 31. At least 70,000 veterans are expected to attend.
North Carolina's TV and radio stations will broadcast "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Celebration" live. The stations have also contributed over a million dollars' worth of public service announcements to promote the event, which will feature music, speeches and a motorcycle parade, for veterans and their families.
Pitching in on the planning are Senator Richard Burr, USO North Carolina and Victory Management/Charlotte Motor Speedway. "This celebration is the result of a great partnership," said John Idler, president of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters. "We can't say enough good things about USO of North Carolina, Victory Management at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and of course Senator Burr, the driving force. Not only is the event itself historic, the state's radio and TV stations will be broadcasting the event across the state ‘live' and providing various special broadcasts saluting Vietnam veterans before and after the broadcast."
Some 200,000-plus North Carolina residents served in the war. The region is rich in military families, with Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune among the major installations in the state.
