D.A.R. to honor Vietnam veterans

Apr. 18—GREENSBURG — The Lone Tree Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are honoring veterans of the Vietnam War from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at the Greensburg Adult Center. During the event, a free gift of gratitude will be available for Indiana residents who served in the military during the Vietnam War Era 1955- to 1975.

Julie Pyland has been a member of the Lone Tree Chapter of the DAR since 2016 and this is an important issue to her.

"Our veterans, our history, these things are important because I come from a long line of veterans," Pyland said.

And she's right. This is truly in her blood.

"I am descended from Civil War veterans, my grandfather was in the military, two great uncles served in World War II — one was killed in Italy, the other was a POW in Germany," Pyland said.

Pyland's father spent 22 years in the military as well.

"I grew up with veterans. And my husband and father-in-law have both served," Pyland continued.

Her father served three Air Force tours in Asia, from 1968 to 1977.

"I think he went in just after Korea, but he kept going back. Something kept him in — maybe the camaraderie. We knew as young children that he'd seen some awful things, but we also knew there was a lot that he won't talk about," Pyland said.

And that is heard from many descendants of Vietnam veterans. But not from the vets themselves, because most won't discuss it.

American soldiers have fought in many theaters — on sea, on land, "over hill and dale."

But Vietnam was a war of atrocities.

As a unique "police action" (many veterans resent that phrase) the Vietnam War presented new challenges, as enemy forces used the thick, triple-canopy jungle as a tactical advantage in guerilla warfare.

According to Wikipedia, the Americans launched Operation Ranch Hand in 1962 to employing chemical herbicides and defoliants in enormous quantities to deprive the enemy of places to hide. Agent Orange is the most infamous of these "rainbow herbicides," and its lingering toxicity remains to this day in the news and continues to affect those exposed on either side of the conflict.

And an unusually large number of war crimes took place during the Vietnam War. War crimes were committed by both sides during the conflict and included rape, massacres of civilians, bombings of civilian targets, terrorism, the widespread use of torture, as well as the murder of prisoners of war. Additional common crimes included theft, arson, and the destruction of property not warranted by military necessity.

It was a bloody conflict.

And the Vietnam War exacted an enormous human cost with estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed ranging from 966,000 to 3 million. According to the report "Allied Troop Levels 1960-73," as published in James F. Dunnigan and Albert A. Nofi's "Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War: Military Information You're Not Supposed to Know," some 275,000 — 310,000 Cambodians, 20,000 — 62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U.S. service members also died in the conflict.

And nearly 1,700 soldiers remain missing in action.

But Vietnam vets were rarely given a vote of "thanks" from the public after the January 1975 cease fire.

During the course of the Vietnam War, a large segment of the American population came to be opposed to U.S. involvement in southeast Asia. Public opinion steadily turned against the war following 1967, and by 1970, only a third of Americans believed that the U.S. had not made a mistake by sending troops to fight in Vietnam.

But unfortunately, the veterans fighting the war suffered the brunt of that public opinion. There were no ticker-tape parades saluting their service in the Asian theater. And often they have been marginalized for going, even though most were drafted.

"It's been time for a change since then. And we are not like your Gramma's D.A.R. We are today's women. We hold jobs, and there's a place for everyone in the D.A.R.," Pyland said.

The D.A.R was founded in 1890, with the simple mission of promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. The Lone Tree Chapter nears it's 115 years, and so the organization is issuing a thanks to Vietnam's vets.

To continue the expression of honor, Daughters clean and preserve cemeteries. They restore and maintain historical sites and preserve genealogical and historical documents. The Daughters provide scholarship and awards to outstanding students and support schools through donations and volunteer efforts.

"We build a rapport with new folks and fit them into our organization. And we find out what people's interests are, and we fit them in where they can best be used. We are a living breathing organization," Pyland added.

For more information about the event or the currently 33-member Lone Tree Chapter of the D.A.R., Pyland can be reached at (812) 521-2017. Information can also be found at www.VetsGift.com.

Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com