Remembering the Fallen
Image from Veterans of Vietnam at the Nodaway County Historical Society
Image from Veterans of Vietnam at the Nodaway County Historical Society
Image from Veterans of Vietnam at the Nodaway County Historical Society
The Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., displays the names of the nine men from Nodaway County who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. The three men pictured above are among these men. From left to right: Captain William P. Pfeifer, Specialist Fourth Class Gary Lee Cross, and Staff Sergeant David R. Karr. The other six men are: Charles G. Dougan, Donald F. Leuthold, John T. Holtman, Earnest L Reynolds, John O. Jones Jr., and David Brant. These nine men represent the loss many felt during Vietnam.
Traveling Wall Comes to Skidmore
To honor those who fought in Vietnam, Skidmore hosted the traveling Vietnam Wall. Skidmore is small, but the crowds were mighty. In one year, 35,000 people came to see this display. Skidmore is one of the smallest communities to host this Vietnam tribute. As this display travels, people from all over the United States have been able to pay their respects to the Americans lost in Vietnam.
Courtesty of The Missourian
Starting the Healing Process
Students In Protest
When soldiers returned from Vietnam, many were met with anger, protests, and verbal abuse. They were spat on and called "baby killers". A veteran interviewed for CBS remembered feeling a sense of shock at his homecoming, "I came back to a country where I had felt safe previously, and all of a sudden, I didn't feel safe anymore. It took away my security." The experience these men had during the war and their reception afterwards left a profound impact, and many Vietnam veterans have continued to be reticent about sharing their stories because of this.
Despite the debate that still exists about American involvement in Vietnam, people in the U.S. have begun to recognize the impact the protests and unhappy homecomings had on the soldiers. People from all over the country started working on repairing the attitude taken towards Vietnam veterans. The Vietnam Memorial in D.C. is one of the steps taken towards remembering those who died. The song "Goodnight Saigon" by Billy Joel (shown above) is another example. It was written as a tribute to the soldiers who fought for the United States.
Remembering Together
Veterans in the area still pay tribute to each other and their experiences. From left to right: Bob Westfall, Bob Wagner, J.R. Calkins, and Ronnie VanFosson, all joined the army on the same day, October 18, 1966, and continue to honor their brothers today by visiting the memorial in Maryville.
Courtesy of Tony Brown/The Maryville Daily Forum