Vietnam Veterans Day in RI brought comradeship and somber reflection
A standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 people overflowed the House Lounge at the Rhode Island State House on Thursday afternoon as Rhode Island veterans of the Vietnam War gathered in comradeship with brothers and sisters who served. A smattering of family members, media representatives and legislative aides added some youthful balance to the room, but the majority of the attendees were in their 70s and 80s. Most wore shirts, jackets or baseball caps identifying their branch of service and the units in which they served “back in the day.”
Their wrinkled faces bore mostly somber expressions, and it was clear that most had “lost a step” in the passage of time. As a youthful color guard from Hope High School’s Junior ROTC program opened the program with a ceremonial parading of the colors, one veteran asked another, “Were we ever that young?”
Yes, you were … we were.
But age made no difference over there; of the 58,000 American servicemen killed, five were only 16 years old. The oldest to die was 62.
At last count, there are 1,581 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Six of those men are from Rhode Island.
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More than 9 million Americans served on active duty during the official Vietnam era. We represented 9.7% of our generation. Of that number, some 2.7 million of us actually deployed to Vietnam.
Last week, Wayne Peacock, chairman and CEO of insurance giant USAA, said: “When these brave warriors returned from Vietnam, they received neither a hero’s welcome nor appreciation for their service that they deserved, but instead got apathy, anger and hate. Disappointingly, many were left to struggle alone with self-doubt, shame and the memories of those left behind.”
The weight of that burden was palpable in the room last Thursday.
On March 29, 1973, the last American combat units left Vietnam. In 2017, March 29 was designated as Vietnam Veterans Day, and this year marked the 50th anniversary of our less-than-triumphant departure.
The program began with “Welcome home” remarks from Ernest Boisvert, who heads up the Vietnam Veterans of America Council in Rhode Island. Rep. Samuel Azzinaro, D-Westerly, chair of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, followed with a salute to those in the room and a promise to keep fighting on their behalf.
Providence native Wayne Smith was the primary guest speaker. Smith, who served a full tour plus an extension as a combat medic, has spent the majority of his life since then working on behalf of veterans in need.
“He’s an unbelievable guy,” said his brother Maurice, who himself spent more than 20 years in the military. Maurice and his daughter Monique were there to support Wayne.
“We persevered and soldiered on,” said Wayne. “We took care and we continue to take care of one another.”
South Kingstown honors Medal of Honor recipients and those still missing
Organizers were pleased with the turnout for South Kingstown’s military tribute on March 25, honoring three Medal of Honor recipients from the town and recognizing five servicemen (all airmen) still missing. South Kingstown became the first community in the state to claim the designation of Medal of Honor Town.
Sharon Henderson, of VFW Auxiliary Post 916, is chair of the Military Recognition Project, one element of the town’s 300th anniversary activities. She led the team that organized the event, while Navy veteran Matt McCoy was master of ceremonies.
Gov. Dan McKee, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, and U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner headed the list of dignitaries in attendance. Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa, Attorney General Peter Neronha and Director of Veterans Services Kasim Yarn also participated, along with members of the General Assembly and town officials.
In addition to the Medal of Honor recipients, the town also honored five native sons, all airmen, missing in action from three wars.
Announcements
VA help with tax returns: Since a 2015 agreement with the IRS, the VA has been providing free tax preparation services to veterans and their families. Partnering organizations prepare tax returns free of charge for low- to moderate-income taxpayers. The Providence VA Medical Center participates in this program. The service is provided by appointment only Tuesday through Thursday until April 13. To get help with your taxes, call (401) 273-7100, ext. 12025.
Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall coming to RI in September: Organizers have announced that an 80% scale replica of the Vietnam Wall Memorial in Washington is coming to Warwick's Rocky Point State Park from Sept. 8-10. The weekend-long display will be hosted by the Gaspee Days Committee, the City of Warwick, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, and RI 250.
“Two hundred and nine Rhode Islanders made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Erik Wallin, executive director of Operation Stand Down Rhode Island. Six servicemen from this state are still not accounted for and are listed as MIA— missing in action.
“The Vietnam Era Veteran continues to be a demographic in serious need of services,” continued Wallin. “This display will honor all those who served and sacrificed in Vietnam and most of all those who did not make it home.”
“There are still more than 20,000 Vietnam Era veterans who live in Rhode Island,” added Mark Russell, one of the organizers. “For them and their families it is important to commemorate their service. This year, the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, is a fitting time to do so.”
More details will be made available this summer.
To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Vietnam Veterans Day in RI honored old, young and those left behind
