Dear Readers,

Won't you join with us in celebrating the return of a trio of Boothbay Region national guard soldiers from the war in Afghanistan.

Welcome home Ken Solorzano, Mason Leighton and Nicholas Greenleaf. We are happy you are safe, healthy and home.

They came home to joyful family and friends in Bangor on Saturday as they joined the ranks vacated by their fathers, grandfathers and beyond as Maine men who did their duty when their nation called them to serve.

Let's welcome them home and not make the mistake we made several years ago.

A war or two ago, when the veterans of another generation came home from Vietnam, many of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines were not treated very well.

While they were gone, much of the public had turned against the war, and the political leaders who started and prosecuted the conflict.

In many cases, the public took out their feelings about the conflict on the returning soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who had just done their duty.

At the same time, many of the older veterans were less than welcoming to the returning servicemen.

It was as much a generational conflict as anything, as many of the World War II generation did not care for Vietnam vets, some with long hair, anti-establishment attitudes and, of course, their rock 'n' roll music, which grated on the ears of the older vets who favored Glenn Miller.

Some resented the younger veterans, too, because they felt they were somehow less than worthy, because they did not “win” their war, unlike the veterans of the World War II generation.

The long and short of it was a kind of isolation for some of the Vietnam veterans, who came home from a shooting war to face a cultural conflict. There are Vietnam veterans who still harbor a grudge over their treatment.

So let's not treat our latest generation of veterans the same way. Let's welcome home the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Thank them, shake their hands. Welcome them home. Pat them on the back. Always remember they are our brothers and sons, sisters and daughters, neighbors and friends.

But remember, although our welcomes, our handshakes and pats on the back are nice, a better “welcome home” gesture would be to help them find a job with a future.

If you know of an academic program that might help them get ahead in the world, let them know about that too.

In our community we have three men who have proven they are bright, strong, steadfast and willing to work. They have demonstrated their loyalty to their country, their unit and their coworkers. If you are looking for a new employe or just hear of an opening someplace, why not give a veteran a try.

You won't be sorry you did.