Carbon County recently celebrated its Vietnam veterans with a luncheon in their honor.

And now a new group for these veterans to gather monthly is beginning.

“You asked and we answered,” Christine LeClair, director of the Carbon County Veterans Affairs office, posted Friday.

Together With Veterans NEPA is hosting the county’s inaugural Vietnam Era Vet Coffee and Camaraderie Club later this month.

The first club gathering will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on April 28 at the Lehighton American Legion.

“Your input will direct when and where the coffee club will meet in the future and whether we will have a guest speaker each month or merely meet for coffee,” LeClair posted on Facebook announcing the new club.

This is open to all Vietnam era veterans in Carbon County, as well as the surrounding counties who wish to gather with their fellow veterans.

Registration is request to allow for enough seating, as well as coffee to be prepared. To RSVP, call LeClair at 570-325-3986 or email her at cleclair@carboncounty.net by April 25.

In related veteran matters, the Carbon County Commissioners commended LeClair for the luncheon on Tuesday.

She reported that on Wednesday, her office phone and email was full with good comments from those who attended.

“It really struck me that a free meal and some small trinkets and tokens of our appreciation could make such an impact on these people,” she said Thursday. “As something as small as that, to show our appreciation is what was missing for all these years.”

LeClair said a hike and resource fair for veterans is also in the works for June.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein pointed out that the luncheon preparations were a family affair for LeClair, with her sister making the table decorations, her daughter’s Girl Scout troop donating cookies and her children’s classmates making thank you cards for the veterans.

LeClair said food brings people together and the response was heartwarming to see. She added that Together With Veterans is hoping to be able to continue this luncheon in the future.

“They got a well-deserved meal,” Commissioner Rocky Ahner said. “They were very appreciative.”