The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s Annual Memorial Day Ceremony will be honoring beloved LaBelle resident, Donald Howard Jones, on Saturday, June 15, on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Vietnam Veterans lost to agent orange and PTSD are mentioned in a special part of the ceremony, which is hosted yearly by the Memorial Fund and the National Park Service to pay tribute to members of America’s armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“My husband and I moved to LaBelle in 2010, falling in love with the community. We were married for 47 years when Don passed away after fighting cancer since 1995, as the result of exposure to agent orange. I am so proud of his service in Vietnam and that he will be an honoree in June,” says Judi Jones. For those who cannot attend the ceremony in person, the event will be streamed live, on the VVMF’s Facebook Page, which can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/VietnamVeteransMemorialFund

Jones will also be placed on the In Memory Honor Roll and featured on the VVMF’s mobile exhibit, “The Wall that Heals”, as a lasting reminder of his service and sacrifice. This is a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that travels to communities throughout the United States. Since its dedication it has been displayed at nearly 600 communities allowing millions of people to experience the healing legacy.

The VVMF states, “Bringing The Wall home to communities throughout our country allows the souls enshrined on the Memorial to exist once more among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings. The traveling exhibit provides thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of facing The Wall to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin.” The VVMF has The Wall’s tour schedule posted on their website: https://www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/2019-Tour-Schedule/

Thank you, Donald Howard Jones and all veterans, for your service.