Ceremony honors Vietnam veterans

“Not everyone who lost his life in Vietnam died there. Not everyone who came home ever left there. Freedom is not free.”

This anonymous quote resonated through the Montana Veterans Home Thursday as dozens gathered to honor and remember those who came home from the Vietnam War, and those who did not.

“We are here to welcome soldiers home and thank them for service to their country. But, what they did came with a price. They are not here for no reason at all. There are here to get help with what they brought home with them. Some have constant pain. Some are missing limbs. Some have bad dreams. Some have violent tempers. Some see faces in the night. Some have strained family relations. The list goes on,” Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1087 President John Burgess said to open the ceremony.

The event, held on the 45th anniversary of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Vietnam, came a week after Columbia Falls proclaimed March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. The event was also a part of National Vietnam Veterans Day, a commemoration which became law with President’s signing of the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017.

President Barack Obama set into motion a 13-year commemoration of the Vietnam War with a proclamation in 2012.

“As a grateful Nation, we honor more than 58,000 patriots --their names etched in black granite -- who sacrificed all they had and all they would ever know. We draw inspiration from the heroes who suffered unspeakably as prisoners of war, yet who returned home with their heads held high. We pledge to keep faith with those who were wounded and still carry the scars of war, seen and unseen. With more than 1,600 of our service members still among the missing, we pledge as a Nation to do everything in our power to bring these patriots home. In the reflection of The Wall, we see the military family members and veterans who carry a pain that may never fade. May they find peace in knowing their loved ones endure, not only in medals and memories, but in the hearts of all Americans, who are forever grateful for their service, valor, and sacrifice,” the proclamation read.

Several Vietnam veterans spoke at Thursday’s ceremony, many reciting famous speeches and quotes pertaining to the war, while others paid tribute in their own words.

“Today we pay tribute to the fallen, the missing, the wounded, the millions who served and the millions who awaited their return. We reflect on their service and sacrifice. Many of you came home to be shunned or neglected. Alone, to face a treatment unbefitting the courage and service you selflessly gave,” Larry Cannon said.

Others shared their personal experiences from the lengthy conflict.

Columbia Falls City Councilman Mike Shepard, who served as a Second Lieutenant with the U.S. Army paratroopers, recalled the friends he lost during the war, whose names can now be found on “The Wall,” the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.

Shepard spoke about one friend, shot down in a helicopter, who died in captivity in Cambodia in 1972. Another friend, a helicopter pilot, was shot down and killed during his third pass attempting to break an assault on his camp. Shepard also recalled his captain, who was killed during an assault in 1970.

“When I can’t sleep at night because of the things that I carry ... the last thing I did for my captain was to take a clean pair of socks and wiped his face off as we zipped him up in a body bag, because I didn’t want him to see how dirty we were when he got back to where the grave registration people were. Every night, when I get up about 2:30, I see his face. None of the counseling will every take that away. This is what marks us as veterans,” Shepard said. “All of you here have my undying respect. We should never be ashamed in this country that we served. We sent the worst to Canada and I, for one, will never forgive a certain president for allowing them to come back to the United States. They turned their back at a time when their country needed them and they walked away.”

Another veteran, John Wise, spoke of his time with the Air Force in Thailand, also a combat zone at the time. Wise had volunteered to go to Vietnam, but instead was sent to Thailand, where he maintained F4 Phantom fighter jets and C-130s.

More stories were swapped as those in attendance shared cake after the ceremony.

The U.S. Government’s 50th anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War will continue through November 11, 2025.