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BIDDEFORD — It was Christmas morning in 1967 and Gerald “Jerry” Bernier and his fellow troopers had arrived at their vacation spot. These younger males had been in Vietnam and had been about to go on a mission that day.
At the moment, lots of them didn’t know of the sentiment again residence in opposition to the warfare, and in opposition to these serving their nation within the army. They didn’t know in regards to the spew hateful phrases that will be spewed at them after they returned — in the event that they returned.
Bernier was one among eight Vietnam Warfare and period veterans who turned out for a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesday, March 29, that marked Vietnam Warfare Remembrance Day. They raised the commemorative flag, and stood at consideration for the Nationwide Anthem, and for Faucets, carried out by Jessica Johnson. Mayor Alan Casavant spoke and so did organizer and Metropolis Councilor Martin Grohman.
Bernier remembers that 1967 Christmas Day effectively. He stated, as he and the others had been ready to start their mission, one among their firm stepped ahead and sang “Silent Night time,” and everybody joined in.
“There wasn’t a dry eye,” Bernier recalled, reflecting that all of them knew, younger as they had been, that a few of their members wouldn’t be alive to sing the hymn once more.
As he and different Vietnam veterans gathered outdoors at Veterans Memorial Park within the chill wind of a late March morning, exchanging recollections of these days passed by, they considered those that didn’t come residence.
U.S. Marine Conrad Letellier was awarded the Purple Coronary heart twice throughout his service in Vietnam.
He stated the ceremony was for these whose names are on the wall — the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. “That is in remembrance of them,” he stated.
In all, there are 343 names of Mainers etched on the wall; 11 others stay lacking in motion.
The remembrance ceremony was additionally for many who got here residence to a reception then that was something however welcoming, and the phrases hurled at them nonetheless sting.
Biddeford American Legion Submit 26 Commander Michael Gibney served within the U.S. Air Power in Thailand in 1975 and 1976.
“I used to be spit on twice in uniform,” he stated. “One in Thailand, and as soon as in San Francisco.”
“Our function is to guarantee nobody else will get that reception,” stated Gibney.
Fifteen years later, as veterans of the Gulf Warfare had been welcomed residence — domestically there have been troop greeters at airports in Bangor and in Portsmouth, New Hampshire — issues had modified, Gibney famous, and other people additionally started to thank Vietnam Warfare veterans for his or her service and say, “welcome residence.”
Ray Hallczuk served within the U.S. Air Power in Vietnam — he spoke of the warmth, and of being within the jungle, and of the good needs which might be voiced now, however weren’t then.
“I’m glad it’s lastly coming round,” he stated.
These participating within the ceremony additionally included David Dionne, a U.S. Military veteran who started his service in 1979, and served excursions of responsibility in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Bosnia, twice in Iraq, and twice in Afghanistan, retiring in 2003; Lionel Lamontagne, who served two excursions of responsibility in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy; Richard Doyle, an MP with the U.S. Military in Vietnam, and Lou Crepeau, a Vietnam Warfare Period veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserves, who stated he got here to lend his assist.
Doyle is vice chairman of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1044, is its POW-MIA coordinator.
“We don’t overlook,” he stated.
Bernier, reflecting on that interval in his life, stated letters from residence he acquired whereas in Vietnam didn’t discuss with the unrest throughout the nation, and he was unaware of the sentiment in opposition to the warfare when his plane touched city in California.
“I kissed the pavement,” he stated. “You don’t notice how a lot you like America (till) you do one thing like this.”
Out of nowhere, got here the phrases, “child killer’ yelled by these against the warfare.
“Issues had been fairly scorching and heavy,” he stated. Bernier stated he and others had been suggested to not put on their uniforms on the flight residence. Bernier stated he did anyway, taking a seat on the rear of the plane, and because it turned out, the flight was higher than he had anticipated.
“The pilot got here again and requested if I needed to go top quality,” he stated, and so he did. “It was not what I used to be anticipating.”
“I believe America made an enormous mistake when it refused to acknowledge what you probably did,” stated Casavant to the veterans. “I need to thanks for what you’ve got completed.”
“Thanks in your service and welcome residence,” stated Grohmann.
Based on a proclamation issued by the town of Biddeford, 48,000 women and men from Maine served within the Vietnam Warfare, whereas a further 16,000 Mainers had been serving worldwide throughout the Vietnam Warfare period.
The town of Biddeford issued a proclamation upfront of Vietnam Warr Remembrance Day. It states, partly:
“Whereas, on this present day, we bear in mind and honor those that selflessly served, who gave the last word sacrifice, who had been wounded and reside with these scars day by day, and people who are nonetheless lacking in Southeast Asia; we are going to always remember you; and
Whereas we need to convey a hearty Welcome Dwelling and Thank You to those that by no means heard it and declare that we’re very pleased with you and your service to your nation and the State of Maine; particularly those that belong to Biddeford’s Vietnam Veterans of America Submit 1044, Now, Subsequently, be it resolved that I, Alan Casavant, Mayor of the Metropolis of Biddeford, do hereby proclaim March 29 as Vietnam Warfare Remembrance Day in Biddeford.”
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