Encino : Vietnamese, American Vets Invited to Picnic

Better understanding and friendship between two groups that have largely lived apart are the goals of organizers of a barbecue today sponsored by the Valley chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.

For the the first time, the veterans group has invited Vietnamese veterans of the Vietnam War, in addition to American vets of the South Asia conflict, and their families, to the second annual barbecue.

“We can learn a lot by talking to these people and learning what it meant to them to have to leave their homes,” said Ed Hedrick, president of the Valley chapter. “When American veterans think about the war, we think about what we put up with from our officers and our government. To the Vietnamese, this was a fight over the way they would live for the rest of their lives.”

Hedrick said he got the idea to invite Vietnamese veterans after meeting a top South Vietnamese air force general at the Vietnam Veterans of America national convention in Houston last month. He also met and spoke with Amerasian children of American soldiers at a July 4 event sponsored by the Pasadena chapter of his group.

These two meetings caused Hedrick to believe that Americans, Vietnamese vets and other Vietnamese could benefit from each other’s emotional support and friendship.

To let Vietnamese people know about the picnic, the Valley chapter placed ads in two Vietnamese-language newspapers in the Valley and central Los Angeles.

The picnic will begin at 11 this morning and continue until dusk at Lake Balboa, Site 2, in Encino. Hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks will be provided. There will also be memorabilia displays and merchandise for sale. Site 2 is on the south side of Lake Balboa, between the lake and the playground.