Event Tuesday in Modesto will honor Vietnam War veterans

A Vietnam War 50th anniversary commemoration will be held Tuesday in Modesto to give veterans of that conflict a long-overdue welcome home, organizers say.

Hosted by the Modesto Vet Center and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the ceremony and lunch will be at John Thurman Field. It will include comments by Mayor Ted Brandvold, police Chief Galen Carroll, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, and Vet Center Director Steve Lawson.

“Younger veterans like myself will do a pinning and coining ceremony for Vietnam veterans,” said Modesto Vet Center office manager Santiago Sanchez, who served in the Marine Corps for 20 years during operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Restore Hope and Enduring Freedom.

Any veteran who served in active duty in the U.S. military any time between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975, is eligible to receive recognition. The Vet Center and the VA have reached out through Stanislaus County and as far north as Stockton and south as Merced, Sanchez said.

“Just at our Vet Center, we have a client roster of 400 vets here in the county we mailed out to. We also reached out to the VFW, the American Legion and Rotary Clubs.”

Between veterans, their families and anyone who wants to attend to show support, organizers are expecting from 800 to 1,000 people Tuesday, Sanchez said.

“Vietnam veterans who did come back at the time really were not treated well, so a lot went into hiding,” Sanchez said. “Only in the past several years have they started approaching our vet centers.

“For those Vietnam vets who do reach out to local vet centers, they’re allowed to come back here and be part of a brotherhood again, a place where they can be secure and welcome. ... The process of healing is still taking place. It’s taken a long time for these guys to get back to what they deserve, the way they should be treated.”

“To me, this is about thanking a generation who were not only forgotten but blamed for a war they were sent to fight for our country,” Carroll said. “What happened to our veterans was a travesty. No matter what the political environment in our country, the young men and women who are sent overseas to serve our country should be welcomed home with open arms and know that we appreciate all the sacrifices they and their families made for us.”

Denham stated: “I’m honored to recognize the sacrifice of our Vietnam veterans. Many of these brave men and women didn’t receive the heroes’ welcome they deserved when they returned home. ... Many are still struggling with the scars of war.”

Santiago noted that no VA funding – no tax dollars – are being spent on the commemoration, which is one of many anniversary events being held across the nation.

“This is funded by the community; donations by people who want to make this a great event for our vets,” he said. “The Modesto Nuts’ Mike Gorrasi has been a great help. The Turlock (High School) Junior ROTC, the Modesto Junior College Veterans Club – a lot of people have come on board to make this event happen.”

The war in Vietnam began in 1954 after the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party in North Vietnam, according to History.com. By 1969, the peak of U.S. involvement in the war, more than 500,000 American military personnel were involved.

“Growing opposition to the war in the United States led to bitter divisions among Americans, both before and after President Richard Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973,” History.com states. “In 1975, communist forces seized control of Saigon, ending the Vietnam War, and the country was unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam the following year.”

In 2008, the National Defense Authorization Act empowered the secretary of defense to establish a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the war, according to www.vietnamwar50th.com. By presidential proclamation on May 25, 2015, the commemoration period began on Memorial Day 2015 and continues through Veterans Day 2025.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 1:05 PM with the headline "Event Tuesday in Modesto will honor Vietnam War veterans."