Photo By Timothy Koster | FORT DEVENS, Massachusetts – William Vicini, Senior Vice Commander of the...... read more read more
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FORT DEVENS, Massachusetts – Vietnam veterans from several posts of the Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign War and the Disabled American Veterans organizations, along with members of the Fort Devens community and other veteran organizations, joined together for a combined celebration of Loyalty Day and the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, here, April 24, 2016.
The Vietnam War concluded on April 30, 1975 and Loyalty day is a special day, typically observed annually on May 1 – signifying the day after the conclusion of the war – for Americans to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and to recognize the heritage of American Freedom.
When younger Americans think about the Vietnam War, some see images from movies like Full Metal Jacket, Good Morning Vietnam, or Apocalypse Now, while others only see the black and white images printed in their text books from a time long, long ago.
Unlike other wars of the 20th century in which America has fought, such as World War II and the Korean War, which have a quickly dwindling veteran population, those who fought against the communist armies in the jungles of Vietnam are still quite numerous – and extremely proud of their service, despite the hardships they faced when they came home.
“The United States was in a mess over the Vietnam War and the image of the average Soldier coming back, whenever that person came back, at the American people saw them as baby killers, they were spit upon, and they were very disrespected,” said Keith Jackson, Massachusetts VFW state judge advocate and master of ceremonies for the event.
The Vietnam veteran is just like every other veteran, from every other war, Jackson said. The Vietnam War was unlike any other war that we’ve fought – for the first time ever, the U.S. military found themselves fighting in jungle, which was so much different than the battlefields of World War I and II. Regardless, they were given a mission to do and they did it with pride and to the very best of their ability.
In addition to reaffirming their loyalty to the United States, the celebrations were meant to pay respects to the sacrifices each veteran from the Vietnam War made – a gesture that some felt was long overdue.
“America has changed its whole thought process and it was mainly because of Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Jackson, who is also the Fort Devens’ chief of range operations. “When the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans came back from deployment, these guys were treated very well. Americans love soldiers, they love their veterans and it’s important that we say ‘hey we can’t forget about these guys.’”
In a proclamation sent from Washington D.C. for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, President Barack Obama said, “As a grateful nation, we honor more than 58,000 patriots – their names etched in black granite – who sacrificed all they had and all they would ever know. We draw inspiration from the heroes who suffered unspeakably as prisoners of war, yet who returned home with their heads held high. We pledge to keep faith with those who were wounded and still carry the scars of war, seen and unseen. With more than 1,600 of our service members still among the missing, we pledge as a Nation to do everything in our power to bring these patriots home.”
For others in attendance, the event was a chance to reflect on their own personal experiences, each a small chapter in the larger American story.
Dale Martin, coordinator of volunteers for the Fort Devens Museum, spent her time during the Vietnam War as a Red Cross volunteer at the Old Cutler Army Community Hospital , here. One of her fondest memories of her time there was taking wounded veterans to Boston Red Sox games to raise morale. She, too, noted that it was sometimes difficult to maintain a high morale because of the way that the veterans were treated.
“When we went to the baseball games, people didn’t like Vietnam and [the veterans] have never gotten a great deal of recognition,” she said.
Despite the hardships every Vietnam Veteran faced at the time, those in attendance were proud of their service to their country and were overwhelmingly touched by the sentiments shared throughout the day as well as the rekindling of old comraderies.
“Today was very moving. To be with all my brothers in combat, it really warmed my heart,” said Steward Wood, a Navy veteran who served three tours to Vietnam from 1966 – 1968. “If I had to do it all over again, my service, I would.”
Many of the veterans in attendance are from the local area and were drafted in to the National Guard for service in the war, said Jackson. So, for a lot of them, this is the first time they’ve seen each other since they deployed.
As the years continue to pass and the Vietnam War falls deeper into history, it’s important to not take the war’s veterans for granted. These veterans lived through one of the most difficult wars this country has ever fought, only to return home and be neglected by their countrymen. However, with the help of organizations such as the VFW and DAV, these veterans are starting to get the appreciation they rightfully deserve.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2016 22:58 |
| Story ID: | 196716 |
| Location: | FORT DEVENS, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 278 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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