GUEST BLOG POST: Invisible Heroes

By Kathy Guzzo

Our son returned home after his enlistment in the USMC on Memorial Day. The first thing we all did was attend the Memorial Day Parade to honor Veterans who had died.

It was an amazing morning and we felt extremely blessed to be together. People of all ages crowded near the street, some standing, some on chairs or on the curb, and children sat on the shoulders of trusted adults. There was cheering, clapping, and at times somber salutes as the different military branches passed by.

Even though I knew what was going on around me, my focus was on my son. I remember as our group found our spot, a man using a cane walked past us carrying an old beat up lawn chair to an empty spot near by. I saw him, yet didn’t really pay attention to him. He wasn’t part of our group he was in the background, an extra on the scene that was playing out in my life.

In the photos I took that day there was a great picture of my son and husband, but there was a third person in the background. It was the older man with the cane. That photo revealed a lot about this man, causing me to feel terrible that I’d considered him just another man in a crowd. I saw more than tattered jeans, old bandanna, worn out boots and a weathered face. I noticed an old leather vest covered with patches of events from the Vietnam era. He was possibly a Veteran and I’d ignored him.

I try to make an effort to thank any Veteran I see, and here was a hero that may have served in the Vietnam War and I was so caught up in my own excitement, I didn’t take time to really see him, let alone thank him. He was sitting 15 feet from my son, also a Veteran, all alone on the sidelines of a parade he possibly attended every year to honor his comrades.

My heart aches knowing he’s just one of thousands of Veterans, the warriors of our country, that quietly go on with their lives unnoticed, never looking for acclimation for themselves, yet always ready to honor other Veterans. They’re America’s invisible heroes.

Veterans young and old deserve this country’s deepest thanks, respect and honor. Regardless of their current place in our society, they are role models, real heroes who exemplify courage, loyalty and understand true sacrifice. They are the warriors of our  land, our neighbors that God commands us to love more than ourselves. They are the greatest among us because they’ve served for us.

Americans need to really see them, to support them for whom they are, their patriotism, and for the difficult, yet amazing job they’ve done in protecting and preserving our freedoms. Any less than that would be a disgrace for us as citizens of the United States.

For more on Veterans and how to support your military community, please visit the Homefront United Network at www.homefrontunited.com

ON THE ROAD – HONORING THE FALLEN

 by Jan C. Scruggs

Courtesy of The Clarion-Ledger

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund now has over 30,000 photographs of the soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam. We need these photographs to display in the Education Center at The Wall. Finding them is a nationwide challenge that depends on grassroots work done by interested and dedicated people, volunteers, who are willing to help. As we continue our work, it is clear that this is a journey into the heart of America. Our experiences are profound and there are stories that are both emotionally moving and inspiring. We have seen a lot of people and we need to tell these stories to you, the reader.

MISSISSIPPI

Let me start with Mississippi. We arrived on a very hot summer day in Jackson, the state Capital. In the deep south, there has always been a strong bond with the military and a deep reverence for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Mississippians had the early vision of remembering not just the names of their fallen brothers, but their faces as well.  In 1995 a memorial was dedicated in Ocean Springs, Mississippi adorned with the faces of all 637 Mississippi casualties from the Vietnam War.

Last July, VVMF partnered with the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial and received the photos of nearly all 637 of their fallen for inclusion in the Education Center at The Wall.  President of the MVVM, Dick Wilson, presented the photos during a somber event at the Mississippi War Memorial building in Jackson.

We were joined by the Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard, veteran leaders from all levels of state government, the heads of the major veteran’s service organizations, and even a large contingent of Vietnam veterans from the local VA medical center.

Of particular note, Barbra Jacobs traveled from Booneville (nearly 200 miles) to submit a photo of her husband, SGT Kenneth B. Carpenter.

(Top) VVMF staffer, Martin Kobylarczyk assists Brenda Jacobs as she scans the in-country photo of her husband, SGT Kenneth Carpenter. Courtesy of The Clarion-Ledger.

For this dedicated group of supporters, we premiered our latest video highlighting the planned exhibits of the Education Center.  With new friends and partners, we left Mississippi knowing that our message was building momentum throughout the country.

KENTUCKY

When you think about it, it really is incredible that people will give up their time and make a trip – even great distances – to be a part of this grassroots effort. In Somerset, Kentucky in May, we were joined by U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers who, like us, traveled from Washington, D.C, to be a part of the event. While there, we met some great people and heard some very powerful and moving stories.

U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers addresses the crowd.

In addition to singing The National Anthem at the Call for Photos event, Claude Davis came with a photo and a specific mission. He was determined to find the name of his friend and fallen comrade, James Jenkins.

With a voice shaking at times with emotion, he told us the story of a man whose name is on The Wall in a place that should’ve been reserved for him.

“I was standing watch, and I couldn’t keep awake,” he said, his voice shaking at times with emotion. “I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”

Shortly thereafter, his unit came under attack by mortar rounds. Corporal Jenkins died in that foxhole in Vietnam within moments of Davis stepping away from his combat post to catch a short nap.

James Alex Jenkins is honored on Panel 24W, Row 60

We also listened to Brigadier General Dan Cherry, USAF (Ret.), a Vietnam veteran, who shared his emotional story of healing and reconciliation. In an intense dogfight over the skies near Hanoi, North Vietnam, Cherry carried out a successful mission in his F-4 Phantom shooting down a North Vietnamese MiG-21. Nearly 40 years after that mission, Cherry was reunited with the North Vietnamese pilot, and the two became friends.

Major Cherry in Vietnam

WASHINGTON

Grassroots efforts often start at the grasstops, and it is always a good idea to have friends in high places. That’s why we made our way across the country and found ourselves in the beautiful state of Washington. On October 7, we climbed the steps of the State Legislative Building in Olympia because Governor Gregoire had formally joined 22 other governors in statewide efforts to provide ideas, recruit supporters and lead grassroots efforts to raise awareness and gather photos. The Governor got things underway by introducing us to two very important allies, First Gentleman Mike Gregoire, and John Lee, Washington’s Director Veterans Affairs. Both of these guys are Vietnam veterans, and know how to get things done.

While we were there, family and friends brought in nearly a dozen photos.

John Bastian of the Quinault Indian Tribe brought a photo of his brother, Roger Saux, who was an Army “tunnel rat” in Vietnam. He was the only member of the tribe killed in Vietnam. Now the reservation’s Indian Health Care Center is named for him.

John Bastian speaks about his brother, Roger Saux.

Washington state still has a way to go in building there collection of photos, but they have gathered almost 600 already, and are over halfway there.

Across the country, we still have about 28,000 pictures to find. But we plan to keep doing our part by meeting with and being inspired by the grassroots volunteers who are going to make this project happen. When all is said and done, we will owe a debt of gratitude to those people who are willing to share of themselves and make sure we build the Education Center at The Wall…the place on our National Mall where our heroes stories and sacrifice will NEVER be forgotten.

Please take a moment to get involved. Find a photo and send it along with a donation to www.buildthecenter.org.

The Service Branch Challenge

Dear Supporter: I was sitting down with highly decorated Vietnam veteran and retired Army General Barry McCaffrey to discuss the Education Center at The Wall campaign. During our conversation, a friendly challenge came up and it’s something I wanted to share with you: “Army supporters are the ones who are going to raise the most funds and get this Education Center built. My goal is to encourage those who love the U.S. Army to join me and get actively involved. And I challenge the leaders of the other branches to step up and try to catch us.” In response, we decided to launch a Service Branch Challenge campaign to actively reach out to veterans, active-duty service members and others with a direct appeal to personal loyalties, connections and pride in a particular branch of military service. General McCaffrey’s goal is pretty clear. How will you answer his challenge? Let me tell you how some people are answering this challenge and setting their own. The U.S. Military Academy Class of 53′ wanted to raise $1,000 for each of the 13 classmates whose names are on The Wall. In less than two weeks, they met their goal, But instead of stopping, they kept on going…and are now nearly double their original goal. The 349th Military Airlift Wing challenged each of its members to make a $100 gift to honor those who served in the Air Force during Vietnam. Danielle Sydorenko signed up to be an advocate and set a goal of raising $1,111 from family in friends in memory of her father, USMC Cpl. Daniel J. Clevenger. As of today, she is only $182 short of her goal. I hope you will accept this challenge and set your own goal. My goal is pretty straightforward: to honor those who served our country by building the Education Center at The Wall. I want future generations to see the faces and hear the stories of those who served, those who sacrificed and those who supported our service men and women. But in order for the Education Center to become a reality, we need your support. We’ve got $40 million left to raise. I know that sounds like an overwhelming amount, but let me tell you, it isn’t. There were nearly 9,000,000 of us who served in the military during the Vietnam War.  A $5 donation in honor of everyone who wore the uniform during that time would finish the job. Veterans, veterans supporters, family members, loved ones and millions of others who simply felt that serving our country is something to be honored, built The Wall back in 1982. It’s the same type of support that will build the Education Center. I know you’re one of those people, and I hope you’ll share this with others just like you. Sincerely, Jan C. Scruggs Founder and President P.S.  If you’d like to make a donation right now to the branch of service you support, simply click on the branch seal below.      ARMY AIR FORCE MARINE CORPS       NAVY COAST GUARD

Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War. Authorized by Congress, its most recent initiative is building The Education Center at The Wall, an underground facility near the Memorial that is designed to add faces to all the names on The Wall and tell their stories to future generations. Other Memorial Fund initiatives include educational programs for students and teachers, and a traveling Wall replica.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW Suite 104 | Washington, D.C. 20037

The Price for Your Dog Tag Has Already Been Paid

By Jan Scruggs

The political season is in full swing nationwide.  This election will be contentious and divisive…and guess what?  They all are.  Opposing sides use their most scathing rhetoric against each other in the primaries and turn the venom on the other party once the general election season kicks off.  For me, this particular election cycle is made even more interesting because of two factors: the “Occupy” movement, and the Tea Party.

We need to better appreciate living in a country where people can vent and vote their ideology at the ballot box or even on talk radio .America was created through the courage and suffering of patriots in a lopsided contest we nearly lost: the Revolutionary War. Since then, we have faced many adversaries – including each other – and the nation has survived.

From around the world, people still flock to become citizens of America, where they can have freedom and a chance to succeed in a nation of laws. Will America survive another political season? The prognosis is excellent. As a native of Washington,DC, I can assure you that we will celebrate and amaze much of the world with an event known as “The Inauguration,” brought about by something we Americans pioneered: democracy.

What does this all of this have to do with a military ID known as a “dog tag?”

Something entirely new is coming to Washington, DC. The Education Center at The Wall will be built near, and work in synergy with, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The visitor, while walking to the site, will make visual contact with the Lincoln Memorial, which stands as a tribute to the repaired national unity after the disastrous Civil War.

The Education Center at the Wall will affect your community. It may even have a direct impact on you personally. Every visitor – about 3 million annually – will be asked to perform some act of civic virtue in their community in exchange for a simple dog tag bearing the name of a man or woman who has given their life in defending America.

People young and old will be given this challenge. Some may volunteer to clean a local park, others might get involved in animal rescue, and others might decide to pay a visit to aging veterans who are in need of company. All of these acts will be electronically recorded, so that future visitors who accept this dog tag will see the many acts that have been done in honor of a fallen hero. In this way, theEducationCenterat The Wall will change and help many lives in large and small ways.

Exhibitions at the Education Center at The Wall will include state-of-the-art technology and will feature some of the 200,000 items left at The Wall since 1982. The photos and the stories of patriots will inspire others to do acts of kindness…maybe even millions of acts of kindness. Every day, thousands of people will be inspired to realize their individual responsibilities and help their fellow citizens.

The Education Center will also be a place of civic reflection, where values like honor, duty, courage, and loyalty will be celebrated. A nationwide grassroots movement is bringing this about. Quietly and effectively, hundreds of thousands of Americans have been taking part in creating the place where America’s legacy of service will be celebrated on The Mall.

Why would visitors want to perform an act of kindness in their communities?  What would inspire them?  What does the dog tag represent?

The Education Center will use powerful images and stories of American heroes from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan who are “forever young.” Their stories will inspire and engage the visitor as he or she learns about heroes such as Tom Bennett. Tom reluctantly ended up in Vietnam as a medic and wrote:

“I will possibly die for a cause I vehemently disagree with… I believe in America … our process of government can respond to people’s needs, if we each assume our responsibility.”

In February of 1969, Tom dragged five wounded American soldiers to safety. This deeply religious soldier would not carry a weapon, but over and over again, kept moving forward and bringing back the injured. It was his responsibility.

Are Americans responsible to our neighbors and community?

Actually we are. Living in a nation blessed with freedom creates a responsibility to become an engaged citizen and to contribute in some way.  This is exactly what Tom Bennett was talking about.

Tom Bennett would probably be practicing medicine today, and bouncing grand kids on his knee, but his life ended that day in 1969 – at age 21 – after only one month in Vietnam. He is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Of course, visitors will not be asked to do what Tom Bennett did. Yet they will be inspired by stories like Tom’s, and most will agree to perform an act of civic virtue. Groups like ‘A Thousand Points of Light’ will be able to direct visitors to projects for which they are qualified and in which they are interested.

Inspiration will spring from tragedy. Imagine if you were to receive a dog tag representing Tom Bennett’s service and sacrifice at the Education Center.  As you looked at it, you would read, “He did his duty. Will you do yours?”

Tom’s, and the others whose photos you will view in the Education Center, deserve to be remembered in this way. Please visit www.buildthecenter.org and learn about how to get involved.