Vietnam veterans deserve recognition
As we learned in the Thursday, May 1, edition of the Butler Eagle, veterans who served during the Vietnam War got special recognition this week.
That’s because Wednesday was the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the event that marked the end of the War between North and South Vietnam that also entangled Western powers, including the United States.
Between 1961, when President John F. Kennedy committed U.S. military personnel as advisers to South Vietnam, and 1973, when U.S. troops withdrew, millions of Americans served during the war and nearly 60,000 of them died.
On Wednesday, VA Butler Healthcare Services hosted its final event to commemorate the war and to honor veterans with a service pin. The program to distribute the pins started in 2012.
The goal of the Congressionally authorized program was to fulfill five goals: honoring Vietnam veterans; honoring the service of the Armed Forces and contributions of federal agencies, governmental and nongovernmental organizations during the war; paying tribute to wartime contributions at home; highlighting technical, scientific and medical advances during the war; and recognizing the contribution by allies.
Paula McCarl, public affairs officer for the Butler VA, said the pins are a chance to honor the service of people who weren’t recognized at the time.
“When (Vietnam veterans) came home, they weren’t welcome and appreciated, so for many of them, they had a bad experience,” McCarl said. “Things have changed, and we want to make sure that we provide a welcoming home for them and thank them for their service.”
The pins are a physical reminder of the appreciation the nation should have for those who risked their lives in service of their country.
— JK
