CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (WCNC) - It was four decades late, but thousands of Vietnam veterans from North Carolina got a big "Welcome Home" rally at the Charlotte Motor Speedway this past weekend.
The event was sponsored by the USO of Charlotte and the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters with more than 60-thousand free tickets given out to vets and their families.
The speedway was filled with veterans, their families and the generations who've come after.
In the air, there was a fly-over by F-15s and then out of the sky, the US army parachute team landed in the infield.
And on the ground, the Rolling Thunder rolled into the speedway.
For the vets, the moods ranged from celebratory to more solemn.
It was all a show of their strength, service and sacrifice and a reminder to us all to never let a veteran go unappreciated again.
WCNC