Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxwell Higgins | 220326-N-MQ631-1046 GROTON, Conn. (March 29, 2022) David Lewis, general manager for...... read more read more
GROTON, Conn. - On this day, March 29, 1973, the Military Assistance Command Vietnam was deactivated. March 29 was designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day in 2017 and honors all United States veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location.
The Navy in Southeastern Connecticut saluted Vietnam War and Vietnam Era veterans during a special National Vietnam War Veterans Day event led by the Navy Exchange (NEX), Commissary, and the Submarine Force Museum and held in the Food Court area of the NEX on Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) today.
Guest speakers at the special event included: CAPT Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr., SUBASE Commanding Officer; LCDR Derek Sutton, Officer in Charge of the Historic Ship Nautilus and Director of the Submarine Force Museum; and Retired Master Chief Paul Dillon of the Retired Activities Office in the SUBASE Fleet and Family Support Center, and a by-name selectee of the Secretary of the Navy to serve as a member of the Secretary’s Retiree Council.
“We gather to especially remember and honor those who served during the Vietnam War,” said David Lewis, General Manager of the Navy Exchange complex on SUBASE, and master of ceremonies for the event. “It’s only fitting to remember the more than 58,000 American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War; the nearly 1,700 service members still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War; and the millions of veterans and families of our all our wars.”
Curtin highlighted that the Vietnam War has had, and continues to have, a great impact on our Nation.
“If we just look at the sheer numbers we can see why,” said Curtin. “There were some nine million military personnel serving on active duty during the Vietnam Era. More than two and half million Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents close to 10% of their generation. If we consider personnel serving in the broader Southeast Asia Theater and the adjacent waters of the South China Sea, there were nearly three and a half million Americans involved in the effort.”
Bringing those significant numbers down to the story of individual service was Dillon.
“I served in this great Navy for 26 years and retired from this base 42 years ago,” said Dillon, who served aboard the cruisers USS Providence (CLG-6) and USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5) during the Vietnam War.
“Providence and Oklahoma City conducted thousands of naval gunfire support (NGFS) missions on Vietnam – serving in many capacities to support our National goals,” pointed out Dillon. “I served 36 months in the Blue Waters of coastal Vietnam.”
“As in all wars it was a young person’s conflict,” reflected Dillon. “I was 28, but so many more were younger than me. Most scared …. unsure…. longing for home and missing loved ones. But we went and served. …Yet, in one of the war's most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected -- to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their service.”
On behalf of the men and women stationed on SUBASE, Curtin offered Dillon and all Vietnam War and Vietnam War Era veterans attending the event, a “welcome home” and a “thank you” for their service.
Dillon did the same.
“I am very proud of my Vietnam service and that of all those Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Merchant Mariners who were there as well,” he concluded. “I salute them and all veterans not only this day but all days.”
| Date Taken: | 03.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2022 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 417453 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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