Vietnam veterans gathered Friday at Utah’s Capitol Rotunda to celebrate 50 years since the end of the war, and to honor the men and women who served during a difficult time in our nation’s history.
Many of the speakers and veterans shared stories of harrowing bravery, and then coming home to a country openly disrespectful of their service.
Paula Stephenson was an Army Officer in San Francisco following the war.
“I was kicked off a bus because I was in uniform and the people were calling me a baby killer,” Stephenson said. “The bus driver said, ‘Ma’am, I recommend you get off the bus now or they’re going to hurt you.’ And that was so traumatic for me.”
Dennis Howland was in the Marine Corps during Vietnam and has advocated for Veterans ever since.
“We fought a less than popular war in a country we knew nothing about for a people we knew even less, and then came home to a home country that rejected our service,” Howland explained.
He led the gathering in a resounding shout, “Welcome home!” to fill the Capitol Rotunda with the warm welcome these men and women were denied.
Gov. Spencer Cox told the vets that he turns 50 this year, too, and said he always looked up to his uncle Sam, a Vietnam veteran.
“I am sorry. I apologize to you on behalf of those who treated you so poorly,” Cox said. “It never should have happened. But because of you, it will never happen again.”
The governor ended his remarks with a request: “Please leave a record of what you saw, experienced and how it changed you, how it made you the resilient people you are.”
Cox and a representative of Veterans Affairs also wanted to remind veterans to take advantage of the programs available to them. Every year on their birthday, veterans should fill out a VA claim, form 21-0966. You can do that at va.gov.
