Seneca East Schools host Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Media Relations Coordinator
On Sept. 5-9, Seneca East Local School District hosted the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, a 3/5 scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Among the heroes honored at the event were the 28 Seneca County men who died serving their country in Vietnam.
Had they lived, their children would be grandparents now. Had they lived, they would be enjoying the slower pace of retirement after decades of work. Had they lived, their families wouldn’t have spent a lifetime mourning them.
But they didn’t live. They left the comforts and cornfields of home, traveled around the world, and spilt Seneca County blood in a Vietnam jungle. Because they died, Seneca County lost sons and gained heroes. Because they died, American freedom is buoyed by their names.
American freedom was preserved by every man and woman who served in the Vietnam War, whether stateside or overseas, whether in combat or support. On Sept. 8, over 70 Vietnam veterans were pinned during the Seneca East Remember Vietnam ceremony. Many of those who served in combat returned home to face cruel rejection. On the Seneca East football field, they were reminded that America now mourns its foolishness, recognizes the sacrifices made by Vietnam veterans, and wants to honor their service.
The ceremony was hosted by Seneca East Superintendent, Dr. Laura Kagy, who received a pin in honor of her father, Vietnam veteran Duane Myers. State Senator Bill Reineke and State Representative Gary Click were special guests of the event. Reineke spoke of the mental weight and scope of decision-making that impacts war, and he thanked not only the veterans, but also their families, who suffered much loss from the Vietnam conflict.
Click’s grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and his youngest son is currently serving in the Air Force, so he understands well the sacrifices of war. He not only thanked the veterans for their service, but he also thanked them for his freedom.
“You can get service from lots of places. Only a soldier can give us freedom,” he said.
Seneca County Commissioner Anthony Paradiso visited the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall on Saturday, Sept. 7, when the Seneca East Select Choir performed and a skydiver fell from the clouds bearing an American flag. Paradiso was moved by the musical performance and the ceremony and wishes to thank the veterans for their service and sacrifice.
The five-day event was moving for everyone involved. Robert Cook, who served in Vietnam from 1968-1969, scanned the wall on Sunday for five names. He has visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, and he was grateful the Traveling Wall gave more people the opportunity to see it.
“A lot of people can see it, and they’ll get the chance to think of the sacrifice of others,” Cook said.
Dennis Ryan served from 1969 to 1970. He spent several minutes at the wall searching for the names of friends he lost.
“I’ve seen the real wall, but this is the first time I had the time to find their names,” he said.
Seeing the names of friends whose sacrifices were made so young and so far from home was difficult. He walked away from the wall drained and emotional.
“What does this mean to me?” he said. “It’s too hard to answer that.”
