A choir sang the Armed Forces Medley at the front of the gym, and groups of Vietnam veterans stood as the singers called out proudly "Army," "Marines," "Navy," "Air Force," and "Coast Guard."
As the graying Army men sat down, the choir rolled along to the verse of the Marines. A handful of men rose from their chairs, clutching canes and leaning against their seats.
One Marine stood on shaking legs, supporting his trembling arms against his motorized chair to remain upright out of respect for his fellow Marines. He held his head, which carried a baseball cap emblazoned with the words "Vietnam Vet" across the front, high, and he puffed out his chest.
Eventually, the choir continued through the verses, and with an "Oorah" he slowly, incrementally lowered himself back to his chair.
The Marine was one of about 100 veterans who attended a ceremony on Friday, National Vietnam War Veterans Day, at the Eugene J. Towbin Medical Center in North Little Rock. In remembrance, they each received a commemorative lapel pin for their service.
Chris Durney, the public affairs officer for the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, said the ceremony gave merit to the 8,744,000 American men and women who were on active duty during the war that ended in 1975. By presidential proclamation, the U.S. is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War for 13 years ending in 2025, and the medical center is handing out pins each one of those years.
America's involvement in Vietnam started in 1957 with equipment and advisers, and grew by 1964 to include ground troops, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. An increase in casualties and higher taxes to fund the war led to growing public dissatisfaction and a growing anti-war movement, according to the federal VA.
"Imagine to yourself a Vietnam War person getting off a plane here in America, and no one's there, no one's welcoming them, no one cares. We're doing the opposite of that," Durney said.
Army Vietnam veteran Robert Lott appreciated the ceremony and the support, saying that when he returned from war he thought he would come home to parades and fanfare, but he was treated like the enemy.
Fellow Army veteran Dale Stringfellow agreed.
"This means a lot to see all these guys who served over there," Stringfellow said.
Army veteran William Kenneth House, whom people call Wild Bill, said he came to the event "to honor my brothers in arms."
"Well, it means that at one time we were forgotten. Now we're remembered," House said.
He also added with a chuckle that he didn't have anything better to do.
Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Veasey, with the Air National Guard, drew attention to the struggles veterans faced when they returned home. He said their psychological problems stemmed from wartime but also originated from the vitriol against the war among the public.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin thanked the veterans for their service and recognized that the government did not adequately care for them after the war. He also said it is important for the veterans to teach future generations about American values.
"Hey America, hey society, this is important," Griffin said. "Take note."
Lott said he is disappointed that the government has failed to take care of veterans. He lives in pain every day and he said he has been denied full disability. Lott said he thinks the military spends money on expensive weapons and gives money to other countries when it should be addressing veterans' problems.
James Stanley, who is on the Arkansas Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said Vietnam veterans will have to continually advocate for better conditions for themselves and future veterans.
He described returning from the war and facing the indifference of veterans of previous wars and the scorn of the public.
"Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another," Stanley said, and the audience thundered applause.
Stanley called on the veterans to rely on each other and to remember what they've learned from the war. He spoke of veterans who have returned to Vietnam and found common ground with people who were their enemies, realizing they shared the same experiences and were both victims of governments that made mistakes.
Stanley said that veterans cannot just sit back while politicians and diplomats make decisions, and he reiterated that veterans must advocate for each other.
"Never again will we turn our backs on veterans," Stanley said. "The wars may be unpopular. It may be controversial. That's fine. This is a democracy. There's always going to be debate over that. But the veterans serve at the pleasure of the people and politicians who are elected, and they serve their country, and under no circumstances should they ever be condemned or held with disdain because of decisions that were made by the politicians, by the elected officials and non-elected officials."
Metro on 03/30/2019