Temple Terrace to Celebrate Veterans Day

Phillip Gotner didn’t know what to expect when he received a phone call from Texas about five years ago.

The woman on the other end of the line told the Temple Terrace resident she had been trying to track down Norbert Gotner, Phillips’ older brother, a prisoner of war (POW).

In the 1970s, people wore POW bracelets, each one bearing the name of a captured or lost soldier as a symbol of hope that the soldier would return home. Although she had never met him, the woman had a bracelet for Norbert that read: “Maj. Norbert Gotner, 2-3-71.”

The woman wanted to know if Norbert had ever returned home.

Phillip Gotner thought for a second before he spoke. His brother was an F-4 Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) with the 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from July 1970 until he was forced to eject over Laos. He was taken prisoner on Feb. 3, 1971.

Norbert Gotner and the other few captured in Laos were identified as LULUs (Lost Union of Laotian Unfortunates) because of their origin of capture. The LULUs were denied exchange of packages or letters from the United States and their existence was hidden from other American POWs.

The North Vietnamese agreed to release all American prisoners when the peace agreements were signed in Paris in 1973. The list did not include any men lost in Laos. A subsequent list of 11 soldiers was provided at the last minute. It showed, for the first time, Norbert Gotner was a prisoner of war and would be returning home. After spending 783 days in captivity, he was released March 28, 1973, along with 70 other POWs held captive in Hanoi.

Norbert Gotner returned home to his wife as part of Operation Homecoming, which was broadcast on national television. Phillip Gotner and his mother, who was too sick to travel, watched the homecoming on TV and saw Norbert get off the plane.

“I was with my mother when we saw him returned to Travis Air Force Base and we were elated to see him alive and well,” Phillip Gotner recalled.

Norbert Gotner now lives in North Dakota.

On Friday, which is Veterans Day, Phillip Gotner will display the bracelet worn by the Texas woman, photos of the prison in Hanoi and his brother’s return to the U.S., and military print certificates during the City of Temple Terrace’s Veterans Day program. The special event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the .

“It is Temple Terrace’s way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who have served in America’s armed forces,” according to a press release issued by Mike Dunn, the city’s public information officer. “All area veterans and their families are invited to attend.”

Mayor Joe Affronti will be the featured speaker at the celebration. Also scheduled to participate in this year’s event will be the Naval Junior ROTC, Pastor Al Wolever of the Riverhills Church of God, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dave Froberg and the Temple Terrace Highlanders pipe and drum band. Free refreshments will be served with hot dogs, chips and drinks courtesy of the , and free cupcakes, courtesy of .

Phillip Gotner is one of the many in Temple Terrace who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was in the U.S. Army after the Vietnam War and is a national award-winning author, recognized by the Token & Medal Society in 2010 for “A Modern Illustrated Catalog of Medals, Plaques and Tokens for President & Rough Rider - Teddy Roosevelt.”

“I would like to remind everyone that we must never forget our military Veterans and POW/MIAs,” he said. “This exhibit shown on Veterans Day is symbolic of the freedom we have enjoyed and the sacrifices our military has made since we became a great, freedom-loving nation.”

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Other Veterans Day events include:

• The Veterans Day Parade. There will be a parade, ceremony and cookout in front of the Fisher House. The event is open to the public and begins at 10 a.m.
• The Special Operations Forces Run, which ends at at 11 a.m. A team of 25 military personnel, police, firefighters and community leaders complete a four-day, 550-mile benefit relay run from Duluth, Ga., to Busch Gardens to raise awareness for and remember the families of fallen and wounded Special Operations Forces soldiers. Runners will cross the finish line in Cheetah Hunt Plaza, and this year’s run will honor Staff Sgt. Robert James Miller and his family.
• The Goddard School Blood Drive. Florida Blood Services, which is approved to send blood to the military, will be collecting donations at from noon to 5 p.m. “We've decided to host this blood drive in honor of all our heroes protecting and serving this country from our local police officers and fire fighters to our military at home and abroad," said Brad Toston, owner of The Goddard School.

Veterans Day Closings

Most government offices, including and the , and Hillsborough County administrative offices, neighborhood service centers, recreation centers, Head Start/Early Head Start Centers, senior centers and nutrition sites, will be closed.

There will be no residential trash pick up in the City of Temple Terrace. Waste collection (including garbage, recyclables and yard waste) in the unincorporated Hillsborough County Service Area will continue as usual.

County parks will remain open.