By Madeline Shannon
March 29, 2023 – Vietnam War Veterans from the Clovis area were honored in a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United States’ withdrawal from one of the most divisive conflicts in American history on Wednesday, drawing a crowd of 400 to Clovis Veterans Memorial District.
“This is so meaningful for all of us who came back from Vietnam,” said John Cline, a veteran Army medic who served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1971. “Whether we were in the country, in the theater or even back here in the States, the way we were treated when we came back was horrendous. Never allowing that to happen to any other veteran group is one of the most important things.”
The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1954 to 1975, killed more than 58,000 American soldiers, according to official estimates. The war also killed 2 million civilians, 1.1 million Viet Cong and North Vietnamese fighters, more than 200,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and more than 4,800 soldiers from South Korea, Australia, Thailand and New Zealand who fought alongside American forces.
That conflict was one unlike any other, something veterans of the Vietnam War acknowledge. Many alive during that time remember the war was so unpopular that even soldiers coming home from the Vietnam War were met with disdain and spite — or, in some cases, literal spit.
“I flew into Fort Lewis, Washington, I walked down a long aisle, there was a flag down at the end and there was some lights on it, and a sign that said, ‘America is proud of you,’” Cline said. “That was my welcome home. Then I got spit on at the San Francisco airport. We never want anyone else to be treated like that ever again.”
According to Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 933, more than 9 million American soldiers fought in the Vietnam War or otherwise served their country in the armed services between Nov. 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975. Vietnam War veterans currently make up the largest veteran group in Clovis, with 2,000 of them currently living in the city.
“We did what we had to do, just following orders,” said Don Moyer, who served as a sergeant in the 101st Airborne Division in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam. “We’re very proud to have helped the Vietnamese people and to do what we could serving our country.”
Wednesday’s program saw about seven Killed in Action certificates presented to surviving family members of American soldiers killed during the war, along with 50 certificates for widowed spouses and 150 certificates for veterans and their spouses, presented to married couples at the ceremony. Pins were also awarded to veterans, spouses of veterans and immediate family members of Vietnam War soldiers, with the musicians of AUSA Sounds of Freedom Band playing in the background.
For those who came to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away, an event like the Vietnam War commemoration provided a chance to be part of the community and have their soldier’s service acknowledged.
“It’s very special,” said Nancy Huey, the widow of late Air Force serviceman Robert Huey, who served from 1957 to 1961. “It brings awareness. We need to have more people know about our veterans and how wonderful people who have served in the service are.”
Approximately seven servicemembers from Clovis died during their service in Vietnam, out of 58,286 American soldiers who were killed in the war, according to event organizers. Almost 50 years after the end of the war, an average of 600 Vietnam War veterans pass away every day nationwide.
“They say you die twice — once when you die, and again when everyone forgets who you are,” said Alex Fabros, president of Vietnam Veterans of America chapter 933 and a Vietnam War veteran himself. “One of the main things for today was to thank the men who were killed and the wives of the servicemen who passed away and wives of servicemen still living today.”