Please support the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society, Call: 815-968-1040
LZ Peace Memorial
Merry Christmas
It was colder that the proverbial "you know what" but I went to the LZ Peace Memorial on Christmas day. I posted some pictures and a video on our SmugMug page. It's a 3-minute video with no audio.
Have a Merry Christmas and the Holiday Season.
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR
Our Chaplain, Angel 6. and his wife provided us with a poem and a Christmas video that features some of our brothers and members of the American military who fought in the Vietnam War. Rockford veterans and supporters show up at near the :50 second mark but you should watch the whole thing. See the link to the video below or click here.
This is Angel 6 writing. The poem itself came from a desire to express sentiments I had been feeling for years, ever since the day the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society and the Smoke Brothers first took me under their wing upon my return from Iraq. Vietnam Vets truly were my heroes while I was growing up. For them to look me in the eye and call me "brother" meant more to me than I could possibly express!
Here's the poem.
I came home.
You were the tip of the spear making sure I was welcomed home!
You looked me in the eyes and called me brother! The healing began.
Vietnam Vet, you are my hero! Vietnam Vet, I thank Almighty God, you are my brother!
Angel 6 continues. My wife came up with the video idea. Our church for more than half a century has put on a summer music concert. It has always had patriotic elements. For years the only theme was in fact patriotism, the whole God & Country thing. My wife now oversees the concert. She was familiar with my poem. She presented her video idea. It grew from there. One of her colleagues came to a Smoke at the LZ with his cameras. He then produced the video for our 2022 Summer Music Celebration.
Here's the link to the video. It's on a Googe photo page.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nvhb_g-vxM2tGCWht_g8tqnLExf9329K/view
Blessings,
Steve Cooper (Angel 6)
"... whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Hey, Blackjack 6, thanks for the door. "Capt. Ken"
Thanks to all everyone who braved the cold, 40 mile an hour wind on Veterans Day. Click this link to see almost 200 pictures and one or two good videos. It was nice to see and hear Mayor Tom McNamara. Here's a little known fact: his father, John McNamara, former Mayor of Rockford served in Vietnam as an Army Officer. Go Papa, and God Bless them all. "Capt. Ken"
Please join us at 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 11, 2022 when we honor all our Veterans. We'll be at Midway Village, LZ Peace Memorial, 6799 Guilford Road and we hope to see you. Thank you for your support and THANK YOU veterans for your service. See you Friday morning. God Bless the United States of America.
The 2022 Fall VetsRoll, sponsored by Finnegans' RV Center, was a great success. Here's a link to the videos from channel 23, WIFR. Welcome Home, "Skipper" and "Admiral" and "Tango" and "Ramrod." Thanks to Aaron and Andy.
Thanks again from Nick Parnello, aka, Blackjack 6 to all those who came out August 7, 2022 for the LZ Purple Heart Memorial dedication. If you have any pictures please email them to FlyNickNow@gmail.com. Click here to go to SmugMug to see the 158 pictures and videos we took.
Sept. 24, 2022 Pictures from our LZ Smoker Brothers "Capt. Ken" Nelson, Tango. Ramrod and others took of Sgt. Flag's tour of the Peace Memorial and the new Purple Heart Memorial. What a great tribute to those wounded in combat and all who honorably served. We are so blessed to have all those who volunteer and take care of the LZ Peace Memorial. Every one of them. And a big HOORAH to all our Smoke Brothers.
The pictures of the unveiling of the Purple Heart Memorial will be online pretty soon. Thanks for your patience. Here's the link to all our pictures.
OPERATION LZ PURPLE. The LZ Smoke Brothers are proud to announce the birth of a new memorial at the LZ Peace Memorial and you're invited to attend. As always, Gold Star Mother Andie White will be with us. Please join with us at 2:00 P.M. Sunday, August 7, 2022. We're located at the northwest corner of the Midway Village campus, over by the Central Christian Church's parking lot. Here's a link to everything you ever wanted to know about the Purple Heart but were afraid to ask. Remember, that's Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Thank you for caring and for your support of all veterans.
Daniel "Seabee 1" Burd, a Vietnam veteran and Navy Seabee, died at home on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Nick Parnello gives everyone a nickname so Dan was appropriately named "Seabee 1". Seabee truly was Number 1 in everything he did. Whether he was visiting and giving communion to the sick, or helping out at St. Rita's Catholic Church, or doing his thing at the LZ Peace Memorial, Seabee put his heart and soul into everything he did.
Seabee was one of the original LZ Smoke Brothers. These are the folks who take care of the LZ Peace Memorial and prepare it for military ceremonies on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Agent Orange Ceremony and Veterans Day. To many of us, Seabee was the Smoke Brothers chief cook and bottle washer. He loved grilling brats and he made a pretty good cup of what he called Navy coffee.
Some of us were fortunate to have visited Dan the day before he passed away. We'd like to thank his wife, Lori and son, Todd "Senior Chief" for allowing us to be with Seabee one last time.
Funeral services will be at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford, Illinois on, Wednesday, July 6, between 5 and 7 pm. Here's the link to Dan's obituary at Fitzgerald Funeral home.
Flag Day 2022 at the LZ Peace Memorial. We have a video and slideshow of how we respectfully and reverently retire Old Glory on Flag Day 2022 at the LZ Peace Memorial. Mr. Marine explains why the flag is folded 13 times. Then he picks up one of 13 folded flags and hands it to Charlie 6, who along with Skipper unfolds the flag and they place it in the Ceremonial Burning device. They salute the flag as it is retired and the ashes are buried later in a solemn ceremony. Thank you for coming to help us honor Old Glory.
This Flag Day was one of the hottest ever. One of the Vietnam veterans said, "If you think this was hot, you should go back to Vietnam, where it was always stinking hot, with bullets and death in the air. The Memorial Day story & slideshow follows this story.
Below are two links to the pictures Capt. Ken took, and the beautiful cards we gave out.
Pictures of our Flag Retirement Ceremony held here at the LZ Peace Memorial on Flag Day 2022
PIctures of the handout cards we always hand out.
LZ Peace Memorial @ Midway Village Museum 6799 Guilford Rd. Rockford, Illinois
On April 30, 1975, the war in Vietnam was officially came to an end. Now, 45 years later, to some veterans it seems like it was a million years ago, but to many veterans the war never ended. It still plays a big and terrible part in their lives. It's called PTSD. In World War II, it was called "shell-shocked." Does anyone ever really get over what they've seen and done in a war, and the things that have happened to them? Does parent ever get over the loss of a child. Does a child ever really get over the loss of a parent. Nope. So we say thank you to all who served in Vietnam and to all our military serving now, and to all our veterans we owe a debt of gratitude we'll be paying forever. Well done, thank you, and welcome home.
Here's a link to 43 pictures and videos from the Saigon Down ceremony. The first three are videos. Too bad that it's so hard to tell a video from a picture. But SmugMug is free to us so that's life. The link opens in a new window.
Today Thursday, April 30, 2020 a ceremony was held at the LZ Peace Memorial. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic it was a small group that included our favorite local television stations. WREX, WIFR and WTVO. Although it wasn't raining I know there were tears from Heaven hidden behind many masks, including mine.
Tears from Heaven on Memorial Day
The Rockford Register Star said there were over 100 people who braved the rain to honor America's fallen heroes. Rain??? It might have looked and felt like rain, but to many of those in attendance they knew it wasn't rain. They were Tears from Heaven.
The Vietnam Veterans Honor Society thanks all those who came out on a dreary day to honor those who were killed in action while serving in Vietnam and in all wars and conflicts our country's had.
CLICK HERE to see millions of pictures on our SmugMug page.
Thank you to Wally Haas, Chris Green and our friends at the Rockford Register Star, Channel 13 for sending a camera crew and the other media who were there. We appreciate your faithful and continued support. We owe much of our success to you.
But our biggest thank yous go to those where baptized by the Tears From Heaven.
Here's a link to WREX-TV coverage of Memorial Day 2019 ceremony.
Here's a link to the Rockford Register Star's coverage of Memorial Day 2019 ceremony.
Click here to see pictures and videos from "2018 Memorial Day" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls." There are 10 videos and 100's of pictures.
Where were you in March 1969?
Dick "Boonie" Dahl was in Vietnam. Read his story, "A Day in the Life of a Grunt."
Bill "Skip" Coad: A Marine's Funeral, May 8, 2016
2018 Memorial Day Observance
Monday, May 28, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, May 27, 2018 at 8:30 p.m.
On Sunday night, May 27 at 8:30 p.m. the pictures of our fallen heroes will be projected on the Wall of Honor. On Monday morning, at 11:00 a.m. we'll be honoring and remembering all veterans who died in America's wars. Please join with us. We hope to see you there. The Huey will be open for inspection so bring your kids and grandkids. The LZ Peace Memorial is a sight to behold.
2018 Agent Orange Memorial Ceremony
Sunday May 6, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.
Agent Orange Memorial Ceremony
Once a year in the summer, we come together to honor and remember those Vietnam veterans who have died from the effects of Agent Orange. Today it’s Grant Fisher, Larry Jackson, Ron Locarno, Clarence Nygren, Donald Steffen, Michael Daugherty, Roger Campbell, Charles Wolfe and James Biesiadecki. They weren’t killed in the war but Vietnam is what killed them. One day they’re listening to the iconic “Paint It Black” and the next day it’s “Taps” blowin’ in the wind. Click here for tons of pictures and a video of a 21-shot volley and Marine Don Allen blowing "Taps." Thank you all and God Bless America.
Southwest Airlines Flight 5658 July 11, 2017
Southwest Airlines, Flight 5658, from Phoenix to Midway. Thanks for your interest in the LZ Peace Memorial, especially to the hardworking flight attendant, who graduated from Florida State, who showed us how to put on our personal flotation devices, and sat with us at the back of the plane. Give us a call or send us a comment below about getting a personal tour of our Vietnam Veterans Memorial. We'll even throw in an order of French fries. Did you know there's a link at the bottom of our home page for all your comments or remarks. Thanks again to all those who were interested, especially Florida State '92, and the rest of the crew for a safe flight home.
What is the LZ Peace Memorial?
Vietnam veterans names on the Wall
Gold Star Mothers
Vietnam Veterans Honor Society president Nick Parnello shows generous donation from our friends, Harley Owners Group, Rock River Chapter, Northern Ilinois.
Marines William A. "Skip" Coad and Ed Palumbo, 1965
Veterans
Winnebago county veterans
who gave their lives.
DID YOU KNOW?
There are over 20,000 veterans living in Winnebago county and thousands of them are Vietnam veterans.
Illinois has over 246,000 Vietnam Era veterans.
There are over 744,000 veterans of all wars in Illinois as of Sept. 23, 2013.
How It All
Came About
It started on a hill in Pleiku
Joe Falzone and Nick Parnello, two young soldiers from Rockford, met while in Plekiu, South Vietnam in 1969, and they vowed to meet for supper if and when they ever made it back home. They did and here's the rest of the story.
LZ Peace
Sponsored by
Vietnam Veterans Honor Society
The LZ Peace Memorial is a place of honor for those veterans who served our country, in war and in peace. This memorial stands as a testimony to those soldiers from Winnebago County who made the ultimate sacrifice at a time of great conflict. We’re located at Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, in Rockford, Illinois.
Or call Nick Parnello at 815-968-1040
We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and contributions are deductible to the extent of the law.
Thank you.
To donate please send a check to
Vietnam Veterans Honor Society
P. O. Box 4304
Rockford, IL 61110