About Julieann

When I was 19, and going to a school in Kansas City, Mo. my friend and I would get candy out of the candy machine and send it to Co A/5th Bn/7th Cav /1st Air Cav. Div./ who were fighting in Vietnam.the picture from those men and card and letter is still precious to me .we sent letters to over 187 service members who were fighting in the jungles of Vietnam.so then after so many years and the Gulf war began I got our hotel to "adopt" a marine unit.and we would send them boxes once a month .and when they came home was the big party for them put on by the Hyatt Regency Waikoloa. And to be in the same huge ballroom with these marines in their uniforms and the Vietnam vets was a night I will never forget.

As the marines Lt.Col. stood and called his men to attention and they turned and saluted the vets. it brought the wounded warriors to tears. and then it got quiet as the marines took their seats and all of a sudden someone from the back of the ballroom at a table  called out "ATTENTION" you saw Vietnam vets stand ,some one leg, one on his cart, as he had no legs,and some missing arms. but they all stood or tried. and turned to the marines and saluted them back. the room became silent and the Lt. Col. turned and with misty eyes saluted a man at the table across the room .and then the two men walked to each other and threw their arms around each other.

As it turns out, they served together in Vietnam and neither knew what happened to the other until that night. they spent the rest of the evening with their wives catching up and "swapping stories".

During the eveining I was to give a speech, which I hate.  But when it came time, I instead gave a toast to Pvt. Doyle Travis Anderson who, during Vietnam would write me letters. and tell me when he came home they would have a big parade for him, just like in the movies for John Wayne. He knew he was a hero for what he was doing. It's just too bad the rest of America didnt know it.

Doyle Travis Anderson was the driver of the truck for deliveries and U.S.O tours coming in. and he had a pet monkey.  He never got that parade as he hit a land mine and was killed in 1968. So I said "This is to Doyle Travis Anderson. Welcome home, Pvt."

Now it's 2003 and my son is called up to go to the middle east.so it hits closer to home.so when I went to Fort Riley,Kansas to say good bye.I met a young man ,who didnt have any family there to say good bye to him. so I asked if I could "adopt" him .and another who was there with his wife and son and going back for his second time. and this is how it started.with 2 then 4,then 10,then 20 and 150 and now its more than 6,000 troops that have asked to receive boxes for themselves and others in their units. and with each new soldier,sailor,airmen and marine that comes in ,we have double the amount of those who want to "adopt" my main reason for my drive and determination is:

NEVER AGAIN WILL OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN BE TREATED AS THEY WERE IN VIETNAM