OK, so  have you seen some great photos so far?

Any that reminded you of an awesome Viet Nam Veteran that you know and love?

If so, please send them or show them what we have done here at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to honor all Viet Nam Veterans.

Now, for the final chapter of my 3-part blog.  Start the drum roll and check out these last great memories via a few more photos from last week...and thanks for all the Facebook comments and the comments posted to this blog.

The Fort Knox newspaper reported that there were about 1,000 Viet Nam Veterans here to be honored, and over 2,500 fans to applaud them.  Here are the front row of those 1,000 as they marched out to the Field of Honor and stood across the field from Lt. General Freakley, the Post Commander.

General Freakley made a few honoring, welcoming comments, and then he invited all the Veterans to look to the sky above them and witness some old friends from Viet Nam, many of which had saved a lot of American lives over there.

First came a tiny OH-6 helicopter known as the "Loach", or "Little Bird", often used in Nam for spotting or observation / controlling.

Then came the AH-1, "Cobra" or "Snake" attack helicopter, which provided a lot of firepower when our troops were in trouble and called for close air support.  If a more powerful fixed-wing aircraft (US Air Force) was not available or on station in support, to the rescue came the Cobra, with miniguns, cannon and rockets...whatever was needed for the fight to save American Soldiers in the heat of the fight.

Then came the venerable life-saver and taxi-cab of the Viet Nam era...the UH-1 "Huey", with over 7,000 Hueys being flown in that conflict, and with over 120,000 combat casualties evacuated to immediate medical care.  Untold tens of thousands of lives were saved thanks to this marvelous invention and full usage in conflict starting in Viet Nam in 1962. 

The Veterans loved seeing all three aircraft fly over, but they cheered the loudest for the Huey as she flew, banked left and settled gently behind them on the Field of Honor with the other two birds before them.

Here are the Veterans waving to the overhead Huey...remembering back to many a thousand lives saved, and fast rides home from some very dangerous missions in a land half-way around the world from home.

And here she is landing back behind them.

So the Veterans took their seats and the Army Band played and then it was time for the Color Guard to come in with Old Glory and all the Service Flags (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force), and then the National Anthem.

Powerful stuff to sing with a thousand old Veterans who are remembering way, way back to a time when they were young and had a full life ahead to live, and they made a choice to serve and protect....and 2/3 of all Viet Nam Vets VOLUNTEERED to be there, and wanted to serve their Country, and still today serve and honor these United States. 

So lots of memories for them, as the Stars and Stripes came out with sailors, airmen, marines and soldiers all bearing the colors.

After the colors were retired, Chaplain Criner, our Fort Knox Chaplain who was a combat medic in the Nam, offered the prayer of invocation and stunned us all with a loud and almost brashly thundering "Welcome Home, Welcome Home.....HOOOOO-AH, and Amen!", then out he walked to join his fellow veterans in the field to our front.

I wasn't sure it was much of a prayer to God when you shift gears and start speaking directly to the Veterans as if you just became God's mouthpiece, but it worked for the chaplain and the Viet Nam Veterans loved it so there it was.

One of those insightful moments when we get to look deeply into the souls of those who lead us occurred just as Chaplain Criner said to us all; "Let us Pray".  I have seen Lt. General Freakley do this twice before, so this time I was ready with my camera to capture the moment....and he was true to form. 

Just as we all bowed our heads to pray, General Freakley quietly removed his headgear (his beret), and Command Sergeant Major John Wayne Troxell saw him, and followed his general's lead.  You can see in the photo that the Commanding General has already removed his "cover" out there in the open where it is forbidden to go "uncovered"....unless you have a higher commanding officer far above you in the Heavens, which General Freakley clearly does.  I honor him for this quiet action that 99% of those present will never notice. 

It has been my personal practice for many years to do this same thing, but I have never seen another general do to this, and it is rare to see any soldier do this...something about our discipline and requirement to keep our headgear on at all times outdoors.....almost.

So the prayer was completed and General Freakley took some time to tell the Viet Nam Veterans just  how much he and the Nation honored and respected their past service to these United States.

He wrapped up all his glowing praise with this summary conclusion; "Today you can look out at any [military]  formation ... and say with pride 'We built that force'.  Today's military stands on the shoulders of giants - your shoulders!"

There was a lot of applause from the Veterans throughout, and from the audience, but most of the time we all applauded together.

Then as the ceremony concluded, the 19th Engineer Battalion assembled on the Field of Honor was called to attention, then a "column right" then to the great joy of all of us present and as a totally unexpected gift of honor to all the Veterans on the field, the battalion commander called out to his marching formation while passing the Viet Nam Vets: "EYES RIGHT!", and he rendered the salute usually reserved for the commanding officer present at the ceremony.

So, instead of marching up and passing-in-review for General Freakley, he gave the full honors of his passing battalion to the Viet Nam Veterans, to which they rapidly snapped to attention and saluted back.....across generations of time gone past....saluting their brothers and comrades-in-arms of the year 2010.

The power of that final moment made the tears well up in my soul once again, and I had to turn my head so I could regain my composure....for an Airborne Ranger does not cry for "sissy stuff", and especially not in front of a massive Army formation.  But my tears ran freely deep inside my soul.

What an honor to be there at Knox last week to be a part of this, and now to share with you my blog-readers, how we look out for and honor our own.

Atta-boy General Freakley and all my Big Army Family! 

One more great Army Day of serving this Land that I love.

Now check out my last photos....and feel the moment, and share them with a VETERAN!

I love this last photo more than all the photos I took that day: Old Glory spanning the breeze with a mighty gust of wind sending all the flags of our Armed Forces fluttering as they are wedged between The Stars and Stripes and Lt. General Freakley's Three-Star Flag. 

If you have never been a Soldier, far away from home and the people you most love in all this world, and wondering if you will live or die in the war to which you are engaged....then perhaps you can feel some of the love we feel for The Flag, but not nearly to the intensity we do when we rally around her to give our lives in her defense.

Those are Our Colors....they are Texas and Elwood and my wife and children all rolled up into one of those 50 stars on that glorious banner.  There is nothing quite like her in all this world. She is God's gift of freedom, and free speech, and free worship and assembly and petition and right to bear arms as private citizens to keep this Nation from ever being taken over by a coerced American or World-Governing Army.  She is our Constitution with all 27 Amendments, and all 50 states, and all American people who cherish freedom and self-sufficiency, and free-enterprise....and the Republic for which she stands.

Across all generations, what a joy to see the American Flag span the breeze in all her glory.

Now one last look into our crowd of heroes from Viet Nam as they stood before us to be honored:

It was a beautiful day to remember; for all of us.