Vietnam Veterans Burn Candle Late to Show Support for Iraq Soldiers (VIDEO)

Soldiers are reminded by Vietnam Veterans that they are supported and loved by their country, regardless of the politics involved.

CNN News captures Vietnam vet Walt Peters greeting troops enroute to Iraq at Hunter Army Airfield Photo by Tim King

(CAMP BEURING, Kuwait) - Boarding a giant aircraft bound for Kuwait with a number of U.S. Army units this week, I moved one step closer to Iraq, and the combat theater where I will be embedded with an Oregon Guard aviation unit sent in country for a six-month tour of duty.

This leg of the journey began in Fort Benning, Georgia, from there we were flown to another base, Hunter Army Airfield, to refuel.

Waiting at the air facility for these U.S. troops, bound for war, was a career Green Beret Vietnam veteran named Walt Peters. He says the support of the people of this nation is vital to the overall success of deploying soldiers. Sometimes these groups of soldiers roll through at 4:00 AM, but this man makes a habit out of being there to greet them.

“It makes a lot of difference. In my day, the only thing I had in my first 19 months was one letter and a stale box of cookies, and a tomato to hit me in the back when I got off the damned plane,” Peters said.

As if to underscore the importance of this personal support, a CNN news crew was on hand to record a story on this historic interaction between this soldier of yesterday, and the combat forces of today’s Army.

Steve Hart works in the public affairs office at Hunter Army Airfield. He says he has a personal connection to the treatment of these warriors.

“My dad was medevac’d from Vietnam and when he came home, it wasn’t under pleasant circumstances and there is still come disdain in this country toward servicemembers. And to see how it has evolved… whether they support the war or not, they still support the soldiers.”

John Breyer, an Oregon soldier serving as a military policeman, is a deploying soldier who also has a close family connection to the Vietnam War. He says his grandfather, a Vietnam Vet, talked to him about the treatment of returning soldiers in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Another person familiar with that treatment is Marine Corps vet Allen Harvey. He works with Walt Peters in their ongoing effort to keep these soldiers feeling the love of their nation, “He was a lifer in the Green Beret’s and now he’s doing this story with CNN and he deserves it. He’s done more stuff than anyone I know around here.”

As it turns out, our plane needed repair, and we would settle in for a long night with no hope of departing until the next morning. It allowed more time to explore the notion of what this steadfast support means for people who will in most cases, not see their families for an entire year.

"United We Stand" has never been more important.

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Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.

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