Recalling the sacrifices made in South Vietnam

Fourteen men with their lives stretching before them like an endless dream were robbed of their lives in their youth by a politician’s war that cost this nation almost 60,000 lives and went on for longer than a decade. The men and women who fought and who died in Vietnam, who served in the jungles divided by the Mekong River, were heroes. The stark terror of the fighting they faced ruined many of those who came back to this nation after serving – and for the dead – for their parents, their wives, their loved ones, the friends they grew up with, there was a divided America which did not appropriately say thank you to these returning veterans and especially to those who gave their lives.

For many, many years, the memories of the Vietnam War dead languished in the dustbin of stale history, that is, until this nation awakened after a long slumber. After many years of looking back thoughtfully, of studying what went wrong, of coming to understand how little we did to win the war instead of conducting a war of attrition, we came to understand the war and the sacrifices made by those who gave their lives upon the altar of freedom. Our soldiers, sailors and fliers never lost a major engagement.

The war was lost because of a flawed strategy. There was no shortage of American bravery, American suffering, and American deaths in Vietnam.

Many years after the evacuation of Saigon in 1975, the Wall was built in Washington, DC. It is a stunning memorial, a breathtaking reminder of the great sacrifices made.

Those of us who lost friends in Vietnam who have been to that wall and found their names – well – what is there to say about the emotions conjured up by such an experience? And now, coming to Lynn, again, is the Wall that Heals – a traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial – which is coming here from August 27 – 30.

The Wall will be arriving here on Tuesday, August 25 at 2:15pm. The Wall convoy will travel down Lynnfield Street, through Wyoma Square onto Broadway and Boston Street before arriving at Fraser Field. It will be open 24 hours a day.

We urge everyone who has an understanding about heroism and sacrifice to visit Fraser Field. And for the remaining parents, relatives, friends and loved ones of the 19 from Lynn who gave their lives in Vietnam we offer our prayers and our thanks.

It will be a solemn time at Fraser Field for the next three days. It is fitting that such honor is given to all those who gave their lives for freedom.