Area Vietnam vets mark war's 50th anniversary

Area veterans on Sunday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War at Brookside Park in Jackson.

The event was organized by the John Guild Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and was intended to give area veterans -- living and deceased -- the recognition and gratitude that long eluded them upon their return after the war's end.

Vietnam veteran Dennis Woeltje, a member of the American Legion, spoke of the sacrifices the young men and women of his generation made during the war.

"Our Vietnam Veterans ask for nothing in return other than respect of their fellow countrymen," he told the crowd, adding that veterans deserve support regardless what anyone may feel about the war itself.

"Men and women went to do their duty as ordered by their higher authorities, right or wrong," he said.

Dennis Woeltje, a Vietnam veteran, speaks Sunday during a program honoring Vietnam veterans at Brookside Park Memorial to Veterans of All Wars in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)

He said the average age of the Vietnam War-era soldier was 22, and more than 58,000 people died in the conflict.

"That's more than the populations of Cape Girardeau and Jackson combined," he said.

The next speaker, Dave Hitt, focused on the local effect of the Vietnam War, reading the names of all 18 people from Cape Girardeau county who died in the conflict. Half of those who died were 20 years old or younger.

Woeltje said although not everyone gave the ultimate sacrifice, even those who came home sometimes were treated poorly.

"What the Vietnam veterans had to go through when we came back, the slurs, the actions taken against them were unacceptable," he said, urging every veteran to join some sort of veterans' organization.

"So that their voices can be heard," he said. "The larger the group, the more they'll have a voice."

He cited advances in care for the aftereffects of Agent Orange, post-traumatic stress syndrome and other ailments to the lobbying efforts of veterans' organizations.

Vietnam veteran and VFW member Art Woods attended the ceremony and said it was a step in the right direction.

"I think it's great," he said of the turnout. "It was a nice number of people, but you'd like to see more."

He said today's wars are different and therefore are treated differently in today's society and media. He remembered Walter Cronkite reading off the number of dead each week and how difficult it was to hear.

His wife, Terri, agreed.

"I had three brothers that served in Vietnam," she said.

Hitt recalled stories of returning Vietnam veterans being called baby killers or having bags of urine tossed at them.

"I remember coming home in the middle of the night, caught a bus from St. Louis," he said. "We didn't believe [the stories about how citizens were treating soldiers], but it didn't take long for us to realize what was really happening."

There will be another veterans' appreciation event Nov. 9 at Legion Hall in Jackson.

The event -- dinner at 5:30, entertainment at 6:30 p.m. -- will be free for Vietnam veterans and their spouses.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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