In May of 2021, The Wheeler High School band was invited to represent Georgia Veterans in the inaugural Vietnam Veterans Day Parade in Honolulu Hawaii. This is a tremendous honor, and we are so proud of our students, band directors, our principal and our school.
In 2019, March 29th was officially designated as Vietnam Veterans Day. According to the parade committee, the parade in 2022 will serve as a “welcome home” event that the veterans of the Vietnam War deserve. The commemoration events will take place in Honolulu, the second home to many Vietnam veterans. Hawaii served as the entry point to the United States for most service members returning from Vietnam at the time.
In addition to representing Georgia veterans, the students will have a variety of cultural and educational experiences. The students will visit Pearl Harbor, the USS Missouri, USS Arizona, the Polynesian cultural center and take a circle tour of the island. The students will not only be able to perform during the parade, but they will also be a part of an American Musical Salute tribute performance at Pearl Harbor.
In all, the Wheeler students will spend six days and five nights honoring veterans and the sacrifices made for our country, learning about Polynesian culture, and exploring Honolulu.