By Lulu

I had the pleasure and honor of covering the most amazing and patriotic event of my lifetime at Daytona International Speedway. The dream of young Ben Peterson was to put on this tribute to rewrite history and let Vietnam Veteran’s KNOW their efforts and losses are known and appreciated by us all!! He certainly learned it on his own, serving an eight-year career in the Army and experiencing the trauma of war. Upon returning to the U. S., he and his comrades were feeling vulnerable and were not only greeted by family, but he also cherishes the embrace of the earlier generation of Vietnam vets that were there to greet them…so that no one would experience the homecoming that they endured. Certainly, we all remember the stories of Vietnam vets being spat on, ridiculed, and being called “baby killers” by their own citizens. During this amazing 3-day event, speakers included Lt. Col. Ollie North, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Ann-Margret, Major Gen. Patrick Brady, Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, Mark Geist, and Chris Noel. Military flyovers, parachuters, interactive exhibits even for young children, veteran resource expos, a bald eagle flying over the crowd of veterans, Sunday a motorcycle ride and world class country stars made this a spectacular weekend. The country stars were billed as Country for a Cause, including Toby Keith, Justin Moore, and Craig Morgan. One side of the huge infield was reserved for ONLY Vietnam Vets and chairs to take home were provided for them. On the other side were vets from all kinds of conflicts. The most moving part of the event to me was when Ben had the two sides turn and face each other for a group salute and told the Vietnam Vets it was time to pass the torch of protection on to the younger generations and for them to pick up the mantle. Everyone had tears! This young man and his non-profit organization “Engage Your Destiny” did one hell of a job. Thank you, Ben, your crew and all the volunteers who treated the 10,000 veterans to this tribute and to the 30,000+ crowd that came to honor the veterans!!! I met a vet on Sunday’s ride who rode his bike all the way from Oklahoma needing an oxygen tank to make the trip! He said it was on his bucket list and that it was one of the best weekends of his life! Many more photos from Sunday’s ride and the weekend are on our Thunder Roads Florida Facebook page. Go to our Albums to find the photos.