When Marine Corps. veteran Scott Laughlin returned from the Gulf War in 1994, he was treated like royalty, he said — a “far cry” from the way Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home two decades earlier.
“I’m passionate about Vietnam vets and what they went through and the sacrifices they made, and knowing how bad they got treated by our own country when they came back,” Laughlin said. “I’ve been thinking about doing something for Vietnam vets for years now.”
The issue is personal for 49-year-old Laughlin of Lafayette, who plans to walk nearly 2,500 miles this spring to raise awareness and support for his fellow veterans.
And Laughlin is now using the distance between his Lafayette home and the Lake Holiday residence of his Vietnam veteran father, David Laughlin, to train for the upcoming trek across the country.
“I went on an Honor Flight out of Washington about three years ago, and it really opened my eyes to Vietnam vets, with how bad they had it. I’ve seen several of them get all teary-eyed,” Laughlin said as he arrived at the American Legion on Saturday after a 30-mile walk from Lafayette. “So I just want to do something to raise money for them and get the word out there.”
Laughlin has been training for the upcoming Vietnam Veterans Support Walk from South Carolina to San Diego for about two months and is in the process of setting up donation pages for the cause.
“I’m just doing some training,” he said. “It’s about 35-40 miles every time I walk down this way. Down to here it’s about 25-26 miles, but I’m going clear out to New Market by Lake Holiday. It’s about 35-36 miles by the time I get out there — going to do it again next weekend.”
Those looking to donate may visit 1989 Crawfordsville High School graduate’s personal Facebook page for upcoming links. Donations may also be made to Vietnam Veterans of America at www.vva.org.
Until April, Laughlin will continue to train and chew up dozens of miles at a time as if it were a cake walk.
“It’s only about 40 miles, right?”
