PIN OF RECOGNITION
Local Vietnam veterans welcomed home during special ceremony
SCHAGHTICOKE, N.Y. » Local Vietnam veterans were welcomed home on Sunday during a special ceremony honoring those who served during the Vietnam War era.
“On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your service and welcome home,” were the words finally said to nearly 100 Vietnam veterans as they were handed a pin of recognition at the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans event on Sunday at Veterans Hall, located on the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds.
The well-attended ceremony, led by director Scott Lamb of the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, was held in conjunction with the fall open house at Veterans Hall, as well as the Eastern New York Benefit Tractor Pull, a yearly fundraiser for the Disabled American Veterans chapters of Rensselaer County and Saratoga County.
“Now authorized by Congress and the President, and on behalf of the nation, we have the opportunity to do what should have been done 50 years ago,” Lamb said, “welcome our Vietnam veterans home with honor, and thank them and their families for their service and their sacrifice.”
After asking Vietnam veterans and their families to stand and be recognized, Lamb continued, “Thanking and honoring these veterans and their families is the right thing to do.”
Keynote speaker Ken Mielnik, a local Vietnam veteran, spoke to the crowd gathered on Sunday about his personal experience serving his country in the Vietnam War, while noting that the experience of each Vietnam veteran is different.
“Some came home to a hostile reception. Some suffered changing injuries. Some mental health problems. PTSD. Trouble adjusting to civilian life. Others suffer from the effects of Agent Orange,” Mielnik said.
“Although it is long overdue, today America recognizes every Vietnam veteran who did not receive the welcome home they earned and deserved,” he continued.
Mielnik concluded his keynote speech by addressing his fellow veterans with a heartfelt “Thank you for your service and welcome home.”
After the ceremony, all were invited to explore Veterans Hall, a volunteerrun facility at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds that aims to pay tribute to U.S. military representatives both past and present. The hall is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.
“At Veterans Hall, our whole mission is to honor our veterans and never forget them,” said volunteer Jody Luskin, “so this goes hand in hand with welcoming our Vietnam veterans home.”
Over in the grandstand at the fairgrounds throughout the weekend, folks were competing in the Eastern New York Benefit Tractor Pull as part of another effort to help area veterans. Now in its fourth year, this annual fundraiser assists both Disabled American Veterans Chapter 38 of Troy and Chapter 158 of Saratoga Springs.
With chapters across the nation, Disabled American Veterans is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than a million veterans each year.
Sherry Stephenson, senior vice commander of Chapter 158, explained how fundraising has been a challenge lately. “Since the pandemic, we’ve had a problem getting our budget to help the veterans,” she said. With the funds secured through the tractor pull, the organization will focus on helping veterans file claims for benefits that they may not even know they can receive.
Commander Joe Simonik of Chapter 38 said the tractor pull has become a very big part of the group’s fundraising. “With the money from this benefit, we can help out a lot more than we used to do,” he shared, noting that the event grows each year. “It’s a great benefit, and the people are so generous.”