SAR honors Vietnam Era veterans in Middletown

On March 25, 2023, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution with Middletown, cosponsored a commemoration to National Vietnam Veterans Day.  This day has been set aside to honor those veterans who served during the Vietnam Era and those who did not return. On March 29, 2012 President Barack Obama proclaimed this day as Vietnam War Veterans Day. On March 29th local veterans asked the community to fly American flags to commemorate and honor the service and sacrifice of all Vietnam veterans, alive or fallen.  March 29 was chose because it was on this day in 1973 the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was disbanded and U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam.  At President Obama’s proclamation, he called for appropriate programs and ceremonies to commemorate the war. From The American Presidency Project, “Proclamation 8829 — Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War (2019)”:  “As we observe the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we reflect with solemn reverence upon the valor of a generation that served with honor. We pay tribute to the more than 3 million servicemen and women who left their families to serve bravely, a world away from everything they knew and everyone they loved. From Ia Drang to Khe Sanh, from Hue to Saigon and countless villages in between, they pushed through jungles and rice paddies, heat and monsoon, fighting heroically to protect the ideals we hold dear as Americans. Through more than a decade of combat, over air, land, and sea, these proud Americans upheld the highest traditions of our Armed Forces.

Marshall DeHaven leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

“As a grateful Nation, we honor more than 58,000 patriots—their names etched in black granite—who sacrificed all they had and all they would ever know. We draw inspiration from the heroes who suffered unspeakably as prisoners of war, yet who returned home with their heads held high. We pledge to keep faith with those who were wounded and still carry the scars of war, seen and unseen. With more than 1,600 of our service members still among the missing, we pledge as a Nation to do everything in our power to bring these patriots home.”

On December 26, 2016, the Vietnam Veterans Day Coalition of States Council presented a letter to President Elect Donald Trump and Congressional leadership requesting March 29th be established as Vietnam War Veterans Day.  President Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 on March 28, 2017.  This officially recognized March 29th as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

The ceremony was emcee’d by Dale Corey and Marc Robinson of the Colonel James Wood II Chapter with greetings and wreaths provided by Mayor Charles Harbaugh of Middletown and Ernie Coggins, President of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution.  Marshall DeHaven, compatriot of the SAR and Korean War Veteran led the Pledge of Allegiance.  Dale Corey presented a tribute to veterans of the Vietnam Era with the POW/MIA flag posted by Vietnam Veteran Jerry Headley.

Kneeling l. to r. Paul Christensen, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Edie McGoth, Nancy Braswell, Leslie Caliva, Ken Bonner. Seated l. to r. Jim Simmons, Ernie Coggins, Marc Robinson, Mike Weyler, Phil Hunter. Standing l. to r. Dave Cook, Richard Tyler, Paul Parish, Bryan Buck, Erick Moore, Will Reynolds, Charles Jameson, Bill Schwetke, Brett Osborn, Dale Corey, Doug Hall, Sean Carrigan and Kelly Ford.

Additional wreaths honoring the veterans of the era were presented by Thomas “Chip” Daniel (Colonel James Wood II Chapter), Dave Cook (Fairfax Resolves), Charles Jameson (Culpeper Minutemen), Bryan Buck (Fort Harrison), Paul Parish (General Daniel Morgan), Ken Bonner (Sgt Maj John Champe), Doug Hall (Order of Founders and Patriots of America), Cat Schwetke (Fauquier Courthouse DAR), Anita Bonner (Fair Lanes DAR), Ray Steele (Middletown) and the American Red Cross represented by Leslie Caliva, Edie McGoth and Nancy Braswell.

A musket salute was fired by the Virginia State Color Guard commanded by Brett Osborn. Color guard members included Ken Bonner, Bryan Buck, Sean Carrigan, Paul Christensen, Dave Cook, Dale Corey, Chip Daniel, Kelly Ford, Doug Hall, Phil Hunter, Erick Moore, Brett Osborn, Paul Parish, Will Reynolds, Marc Robinson, Bill Schwetke and Richard Tyler.

Virginia State Musket Squad preparing to fire a salute.