By RHEA-FRANCES TETELEY
Staff Writer
The Nam to Sand Jam concert and dinner held at the Tudor House was declared an unqualified success by organizer Michael Patrick Brewer.
The event was developed to recognize the end of the Vietnam War 50 years ago. About 125 veterans and friends attended the event, which had speakers sharing some war stories and experiences and great rocking music from the Vietnam era by Shannon Bizzy and her band, who captured the sound and energy and set an upbeat mood for the evening.
The Blue Star Moms booth at Nam-Jam.
There have been 50th anniversary celebrations recognizing the various phases of the Vietnam War since 2015, which was the anniversary of the beginning of the war (recognized officially as March 1965). Now, 2025 is finally the 50th anniversary of the end of the American involvement in the war which inspired numerous anti-war protests among American citizens. Each veteran who had served between November 1,1955, and May 15, 2075, who attended received a special lapel pin honoring their service stating “A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You.”
The Blue Star Moms had a booth in the front of the Tudor House, greeting veterans and their guests as they entered.
Veterans of the “sand conflicts,” including the Iraq War and other Middle East conflicts, were also invited and enjoyed the evening with the Vietnam veterans.
One of the guest speakers was Leslie Dodge Taylor who was a stewardess during the Vietnam conflict. Her war effort was serving on the airline that brought back to the states those mentally and physically exhausted, war-worn soldiers returning to their home country. Her interactions with those young men who had just finished their tour of duty in the Southeast Asia war zone were an interaction that few Americas had the opportunity to experience. She shared some of her experiences and stories of those men who stood out in her mind. Her personal interactions with them during those long trans-Pacific flights impacted both her and them, and she feels honored to have had the experience with them.
Michael Brewer holding an anniversary shirt of a previous Nam-Jam celebration.
There have been previous Nam-Jam events nationwide since they began in Arizona in 1988, and Brewer had been a part of them. It was important to Brewer to give mountain veterans a place to come together and celebrate the end of the war. Many of those veterans returned home to protests and were often despised by friends and even family members.
A couple of veterans in attendance said that recognizing the end of the war with other veterans gave them a feeling of final closure.
At the end of the evening, Brewer said, “I am very happy I was able to organize such a fun and uplifting event for my fellow veterans.”
Those who attended seemed to agree.
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