As the 50th anniversary of the close of the Vietnam War approaches, one Palmyra organization is determined to let veterans know they are remembered and appreciated.
Della Evans, president of the township’s recently established historical society, completed federal paperwork in September that allows the group to present Vietnam vets with commemorative pins, courtesy of the Pentagon.
A 2008 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the secretary of defense to conduct a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, and specifically to thank and honor veterans who served from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, regardless of where they served.
On May 25, 2012, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation designating May 28, 2012, through Nov. 11, 2025, as the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The proclamation marked the beginning of what he stated was “a 13-year program to honor and give thanks to a generation of proud Americans who saw our country through one of the most challenging missions we have ever faced.”
First distributed in 2015, the pins are bestowed during solemn ceremonies, though vets who are unable to attend may receive theirs privately.
Evans grew up in the 1970s and watched her young male friends face the draft. She watched them come home, changed men trying to make their way in a society that all too often looked down on them for their service.
“These veterans came home to a very divided country. They were told when they got off the boats not to wear their uniforms,” she said. “A lot of people don’t remember any of this. I do.”
Now, Evans is able to tell each veteran that a grateful nation thanks and honors them, and may join them as they shed a few tears.
Since being approved as a commemorative partner, the Palmyra Historical Society has pinned more than 100 Northeast Ohio veterans and hopes to honor 500 before the Pentagon’s pinning window closes in 2025.
The front of the pin features a bald eagle superimposed on an American flag. The eagle faces six stars, one for each of the Vietnam War allies: the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.
A fact sheet presented with the pins states that the eagle represents courage, honor and dedicated service to America. The eagle is surrounded by a blue circle containing a laurel wreath and the words “Vietnam War Veteran.”
The blue circle matches the canton of the American flag and signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice, the fact sheet states. The laurel wreath calls to mind victory, integrity and strength.
Turning the pin over, one sees the message “A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You.”
Since the pin is to be worn over the recipient’s heart, that message is especially meaningful, Evans said.
Also on the back of the pin are the words “USA Vietnam War Commemoration” to remind each veteran that the pins reflect the Pentagon’s desire to recognize and thank them. Evans also hands each vet a special pin case and a packet of material detailing the pin’s meaning, along with other memorabilia.
The war’s official dates are Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Recipients don’t need to have served in the war: They could have fulfilled their duty anywhere, even in the reserves.
“Everything went for one effort. It didn’t matter where you were serving. As long as you were in the military during that time period, you are eligible,” Evans said.
Because Congress never issued a declaration of war against North Vietnam or the Viet Cong, the American Legion did not initially welcome Vietnam War veterans as members. That made the Nov. 10 pinning ceremony at Lake Milton American Legion Post 737 all the more poignant: More than 100 vets attended, and the event included a catered dinner, live music and dancing, Evans said.
She hopes to hold additional events at other area legion halls and elsewhere, but acknowledges that many veterans don’t know about the program.
Reaction from local veterans to the pinning initiative is mixed.
Kent resident Guy Pernetti recalls the day he returned to town: May 4, 1970. Yes, that day.
Pernetti had served as an oceanographer in the U.S. Navy, assigned to a highly classified anti-submarine warfare program called SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System).
He recalled returning home only to be greeted with insults: people giving him the finger, calling him a baby killer and telling him the U.S. military had committed the worst atrocities in history.
He went to VFW posts, only to find a chilly reception as some of its older members tried to figure out if the younger vets were hippies or revolutionaries out to overthrow the government. After all, the World War II vets belonged to a time when the entire nation rallied around the need to rid the world of fascism and couldn’t understand how younger vets could be so outspoken against America’s newest conflict.
Pernetti aligned himself with Vietnam Veterans Against the War and tried to get on with his life. He recalled being turned down for jobs because he was a Vietnam-era veteran.
“So there was job discrimination, social discrimination. We faced that for years and years, decades. To be commemorated now would mean everything to the broken-hearted people who had to endure the abuse. And it was abuse because most of us had PTSD. Most of us had bad experiences in the service, whether it was through combat or whether it was through just being in the service,” he said.
Though it takes more than a pin to eradicate horrible memories, the program marks a significant turning point, he said.
“It’s a remembrance. You get the pin and you look at it every so often and you think things are different now. Yeah, there was a lot of pain in the past, but it’s changing. Seeing that pin means you’re no longer classified as a baby killer. Now people are saying, and meaning, ‘Thank you for your service.’ It doesn’t change the fact that those things happened, but it does mean a lot. It’s more than just a token,” he said.
Though he is adamant that he does not deserve the pin, Diamond resident Bruce Smerchansky accepted it when Evans offered it to him. He said he would likely attach it to his U.S. Marine Corps veterans hat.
Only 17 years old when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, he got as far as Okinawa, Japan. That was in 1965, and he returned stateside in early 1966.
“I don’t even talk about my service. I was in that era, but I didn’t serve in Vietnam, so I don’t make a deal of it. I think the ones who really should be in memory are the ones who were there,” he said.
Kent resident Roger Thurman took a break from repairing guitars, violins and other stringed instruments at his repair shop to say he is uncertain about the pin. An interpreter who gathered intelligence from documents, prisoners and defectors, he spent two years and three months in Vietnam.
Returning stateside in December 1969, he quickly befriended students who were decidedly radical.
“I actually went downtown with them the night of May 1. They never held it against me that I was a Vietnam vet,” he said.
Regarding the entire war “as a fiasco,” Thurman simply got on with his life. To this day, he said he remains disappointed about the way the country’s leaders handled their military decisions, and the effect those decisions had on Vietnamese and American societies alike. Everybody — soldiers, students and everyone in between — paid a heavy price.
He said he would likely not wear a commemorative pin.
“I don’t wear any Vietnam hats or shirts, or have any veterans license plates. I just don’t think it’s a big deal. It’s just a reminder of a terrible time in our country’s history,” he said.
Evans isn’t deterred. She’s reaching out to legions and VFWs that are willing to host pinning events and to individual and unaffiliated veterans who may wish to receive a 50th anniversary Vietnam commemorative pin. If interested, leave a message for Evans at 330-720-4883.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.