Local veterans participate in National Vietnam War Veterans Day
EL CENTRO — Local veterans and their families gathered here Thursday evening at the Bucklin Park Veterans Memorial to participate in a short ceremony commemorating National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
The short ceremony was held on behalf of local organizations Vietnam and Global Veterans of Foreign Wars #9305 and American Legion Post 25.
“The main difference is that this was one of the times that Americans turned on their military,” Edward Castillo-Rubio of Vietnam and Global Veterans of Foreign Wars #9305 said. “They went against military and vented their anger at the time to returning soldiers. It had a very traumatic effect on a lot of soldiers, many of whom never recovered.”
In 2012, former president Barack Obama first declared March 29 to be Vietnam Veterans Day. Last year, President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, which made the date commemorate Vietnam veterans more formalized.
“We will honor all those who answered our Nation’s call to duty,” President Trump stated in his proclamation. “We vow to never again confuse personal disapproval of war with prejudice against those who honorably wear the uniform of our Armed Forces.”
Castillo-Rubio was the main speaker of the event. Following a prayer session, those in attendance were asked to shout the names of fallen soldiers who were close to them. Afterward, members of the local organization Daughters of the American Revolution placed a red, white and blue wreath underneath the memorial’s U.S. flag.
The ceremony concluded with a 21-gun salute while a bugle player performed a “Taps.”
American Legion District 30 Commander Tracy “T-Dog” Rascoe believed his father, a Vietnam veteran, would’ve been proud to attend the event. “Whenever we remember our veterans in a respectful way, it’s always good,” Rascoe said. “Hopefully it helps some people appreciate the value of the freedoms that we often take for granted.”
Rascoe’s father, who passed at the age of 78 in 2013, served two and a half Vietnam tours and retired from the U.S. Army after a 30-year career. Rascoe himself is a veteran, having served in both the Army and U.S. Navy. “Some people complain about, ‘Oh no, my shoelace broke’ or ‘Oh my god, I can’t have coffee this morning.’ Well, God bless those troops who are serving right now because without them, you may not have had it at all.”
When Imperial resident Rick Ruane, 67, entered the Navy when he was just 19-yearsold, he had no expectation he’d serve in Vietnam. About four months after completing boot camp, Ruane received orders to serve in Da Nag, Vietnam.
“When I got orders, man, my first thought was, break out my Boy Scout compass, find north and get the heck out of here,” Ruane said.
Despite a rather unenjoyable experience, the Imperial resident said he was truly proud of his time in Vietnam, which ran from April 1970 to April 1971.
“There were quite a few times I was scared, but by the grace of God and his blessings, I was able to come home and wasn’t hurt,” Ruane said. “I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world; I really wouldn’t. I think it actually made me grow up a lot more.”
The Imperial resident, who served in the Navy from 1969 to 1973, said he believes attending the Veterans Day ceremony was memorable experience.
“To be able to be here with these guys, and do what we can, you still have that sense of service to your country, because when we took an oath to honor and to fight for our country against any enemies, foreign and domestic, once we got out, we never had to take another oath to rescind that, so we’re still doing it,” Ruane said.