Gilchrist Will Hold Celebration for Maryland's Vietnam Veterans

Veterans will receive long overdue 'thank you' and welcome home

Gilchrist, a nonprofit leader in serious illness and end-of-life care, will host its inaugural Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day celebration on Friday, March 30, to honor men and women in the community who served during the Vietnam War. The event coincides with Maryland’s designated “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.”

This free event will be held at Martin’s West, located at 6817 Dogwood Rd. in Baltimore. Doors open at 9 a.m. for breakfast, with the program running from 10 a.m. until noon.

Gilchrist's Welcome Home event is our way of showing gratitude to the Vietnam veterans in our community. We are so proud to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Diane Sancilio, Director of Gilchrist's Counseling & Support services

Recognition of Vietnam veterans is long overdue. About 130,000 Marylanders served in the military during the Vietnam era and many of them never received appreciation and public support for their service.

“Gilchrist’s Welcome Home event is our way of showing gratitude to the Vietnam veterans in our community,” says Diane Sancilio, director of Gilchrist’s Counseling & Support services. “We are so proud to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.”

At the upcoming celebration, each veteran will be presented with a lapel pin from the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, which was authorized by Congress to thank and honor these veterans for their service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation.

The program will feature speakers who are predominantly Vietnam War veterans, including Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs George W. Owings III, Retired Lieutenant Colonel George C. Forrest and Jan Scruggs, the founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Baltimore Children’s Choir will also perform.

To register for this free event, email wehonorveterans@gilchristcares.org or call 443.849.8210.

About Gilchrist

Gilchrist is a nationally recognized, nonprofit leader in serious illness and end-of-life care. With elder medical care, counseling and hospice, we help people at every stage of serious illness live life to the fullest and make informed choices about their care. Since 1994, the organization has served thousands of individuals throughout Central Maryland — in homes, in skilled nursing and residential care communities, and at our three inpatient hospice centers in Towson, Howard County and Baltimore. Gilchrist is a “4 Star” partner in the We Honor Veterans program, a national effort to improve health care services to veterans at the end of life. For more information about Gilchrist, visit gilchristcares.org.

Media Contact:
​Kristina Rolfes​
443-465-5992
​krolfes@gilchristcares.org

Source: Gilchrist