Home»Memorial Day Salute 2008

After serving over 13 months in Vietnam, Mike Dillman returned to the States and waited to hear someone say "Welcome home." No one ever did. So he determined to remember and honor all veterans as one of his life's goals. He pastors a church in Manteca, CA that stages a "Welcome Home Heroes Tribute" each year.

"I suffered from post-traumatic stress after I was in Vietnam," he says. "We weren't welcomed home. We've lost 160,000 to suicide, 350,000 are incarcerated, and 450,000 are unemployable. My passion is to gather these men and create an opportunity on Memorial Day weekend to say the magical words, 'Welcome home'."

A specially created lighted "Traveling Tribute" with 4,536 names of those who died since 9/11 has been set up outside under a large tent. And the 37 men and women from local counties are pictured around it.