Tours of Peace Helps Vietnam Vets and Families Heal
An Arizona non-profit group, Tours of Peace (TOP), serves Vietnam veterans and members of their families who have struggled with accepting their experiences during and after the war. TOP (topvietnamveterans.org on the internet) escorts tours to Vietnam that allow participants to visit places they were stationed and to see Vietnam as it is in peacetime. People on the tours also have projects to help schoolchildren or orphans, and meet nightly to discuss their thoughts. The tours last two weeks and are limited to ten participants each. Expenses are roughly $3500 per person, but TOP provide subsidies for some who cannot afford the fee.
TOP also uses its tours to collect servicemen’s personal belongings that were left in Vietnam. It has gathered several hundred dog tags, which are listed on the website. Dog tags are sent in a display box, free of charge, to veterans or family members.