Vietnam veterans remembered in annual ceremony
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
About 200 people turned out for the National Vietnam War Day ceremonies at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in World’s Fair Park recently. The event, sponsored by the Bill Robinson Chapter 1078 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, saw former Chapter President Pat Polis host the program.
Polis noted the war ended 50 years ago and it involved 8.2 million U.S. soldiers and sailors, 60% of whom saw combat. He also noted the 58,000 missing or killed in action and the 244 Medal of Honor designations for the troops, including eight nurses. Polis said that the names of 16 chaplains appear on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Rev. John Justice gave the prayer in the touching ceremony and the color guard was provided by Bearden High School’s Navy JROTC.
Kevin Knowles, director of the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, spoke briefly and read a proclamation from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.
The keynote speaker was Lt. General Larry Nicholson, a retired Marine leader, who told the crowd he spent 40 years in the service after what he thought would be a four-year enlistment. He explained that to qualify for the Medal of Honor, a soldier or sailor had to have acted in a way that could cause a 90% chance of losing their life.
Nicholson also spoke of how badly Vietnam veterans were treated when they returned to the states and added, “The nation owes them a debt.”
A wreath was laid during the March 29 event and a Soldier’s Cross was assembled with a rifle, boots, helmet and dog tags to honor all the fallen veterans. The service ended with a 21-gun salute by the Volunteer State Honor Guard and the playing of Taps.
Before and after the ceremonies, veterans of all military services visited with each other, spoke to elected officials including fellow veteran, state Rep. Dave Wright.
The Bill Robinson Chapter 1078 meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Redemption Church, 3550 Pleasant Ridge Road, in Knoxville.
