BARNEGAT – Fifty years after the fall of Saigon, the scars of the Vietnam War remain, but so does the unwavering spirit of remembrance in the local community. Barnegat High School once again became a place of tribute to Vietnam War veterans, with a heartfelt event led by Barnegat resident Thy Cavagnaro.
Thy, a former Vietnamese refugee and founder of Thanking Vietnam Veterans in Barnegat, is deeply grateful to the American soldiers who brought her and her family to safety. She and her husband, Jimmy, personally established the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Gazebo Park and place the memorial wreath there each year. Together, they have collaborated with the township, school district, American Legion Post 232 and VFW Post 10092 to organize Barnegat’s Vietnam War Veterans Day, now in its seventh year.
The Barnegat High School Marching Bengals performed. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
The air hummed with emotion as Capt. Tom Devine, USMC (Ret.), a Gulf War veteran, greeted hundreds of attendees with the haunting melody of bagpipes. A massive American flag, draped from a local fire department ladder truck, served as a powerful backdrop. The American flag normally flown outside the high school was temporarily replaced with one that had flown over the US Capitol Building, courtesy of Senator Andy Kim.
Color guards from several schools and organizations, including Barnegat High School Navy JROTC, Central Regional High School JROTC, Southern Regional High School Air Force JROTC, and Seton Hall University ROTC, took part in the ceremony. Music filled the air as the Barnegat High School Select Choir and the Marching Bengals performed moving tributes.
Thy stressed the importance of involving school age children in making sure Vietnam veterans receive the recognition they deserve. For the third year in a row, Vincent Lorenzo, a seventh-grade student at the Brackman Middle School was involved in the event. He was the keynote speaker in 2022 and led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Various veterans’ organizations attended the event, including those who served in Vietnam to protect their own country and came to thank the Americans who fought by their sides. They were joined by other Vietnamese American associations who also came to United States after the war.
“They benefited from your personal sacrifices in watching you leave and then come back completely changed,” Thy said to the Vietnam veterans in the audience. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And if there’s one thing that I hope for this year, it’s that I hope we’ve proven to be the kind of Americans who are worth fighting for.”
1st Lt. Khai Le, of Long Beach Island, was a prisoner of war for five years. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Stories Of Gratitude
Thy Cavagnaro, who fled Saigon with her family just hours before its fall in 1975, spoke from the heart. “This anniversary stirs up a lot of emotions,” she said. “The stories of our Vietnam veterans, your stories, are the reason we are all here.”
She spoke passionately about the veterans’ experiences, the invisible wounds they carried. “People don’t realize what Vietnam veterans have gone through,” she declared. Thy spoke of Agent Orange, of broken promises, and betrayal. She emphasized the unfair treatment they received when they came back home.
“Vietnam veterans are the ones who banded together,” Thy added. “They swore to each other that they would not let other veterans have what happened to them happen to others.”
People who were born in Vietnam also expressed their gratitude to the American soldiers who had come to their country. Tammy Hoff Nicolini, a Barnegat High School Coach, received a standing ovation as she shared her own remarkable story.
Gold Star daughter Maureen Hickman Caporaso accepted a folded flag during the ceremony. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Born in Vietnam, Nicolini was placed in an orphanage as a baby when her birth mother was killed protecting her. Her father, Charles Hoff, wrote to his wife in the United States, who embraced the news and welcomed her home. “I was 19 months old when my father made it possible for me to leave Vietnam,” Nicolini recalled, describing the perilous journey.
1st Lt. Khai Le, a veteran of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and Long Beach Island resident, also spoke. He trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1969, forging bonds with American GIs. After the fall of Saigon, he was captured and held as a POW for five years.
“War is ugly,” Le said, recounting his harrowing experiences. “After five years, I was released and later escaped by boat to come to this country.” He expressed deep gratitude to the American soldiers who fought alongside him.
Destiny Nguyen, a reporter and activist born on the day Saigon fell, spoke passionately about the legacy of the war. Her own father was a prisoner of war for ten years. “The Vietnam War ended South Vietnam after years of sacrifice by the people and soldiers of the Republic of Vietnam, and by the soldiers of the United States and all the allied countries.”
Destiny Nguyen, a reporter and activist born on the day Saigon fell, spoke passionately about the legacy of the war. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“We are here today to celebrate you, the Vietnamese veterans,” Nguyen said. “And to express appreciation to the American people who embraced us.”
A Humanitarian Miracle
Keynote speaker Commander Hugh Doyle, Chief Engineer of the USS Kirk, recounted the extraordinary rescue of hundreds of Vietnamese refugees during the fall of Saigon. The USS Kirk, designed to accommodate only one helicopter, became a makeshift landing pad for 16, saving 200 refugees and two US Marine pilots.
“We witnessed and were part of an incredibly huge humanitarian operation,” Doyle said. “Our young Kirk crewmen learned an invaluable lesson in what is most important in life. We were able to care for and save the lives of tens of thousands of refugees.”
He spoke of the USS Kirk’s role in escorting a flotilla of 18 South Vietnamese Navy ships, packed with refugees, to safety in the Philippines, ultimately immigrating to the United States. One of those ships slowed everyone down for a few reasons, including that she had 10 times the number of people it was rated for as far as capacity.
Keynote speaker Commander Hugh Doyle, Chief Engineer of the USS Kirk, recounted the extraordinary rescue of hundreds of Vietnamese refugees during the fall of Saigon. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“That ship was the same ship my family and I escaped on,” Thy Cavagnaro added, her voice filled with emotion.
Doyle emphasized the sacrifices made by the 2.7 million Americans who served in Vietnam, the 58,000 who never returned, and the 300,000 wounded. He challenged the audience to remember and to share their stories. “Our time in Vietnam was more than a half-century ago,” he said. “Tell these young people what it was like for you to fight in that war.”
Honoring The Fallen
Barnegat High School Senior Bradley D’Aloia played “Taps” as veterans removed their hats. Many had tears in their eyes. A moving Memorial Flag Folding Ceremony by the New Jersey National Guard Honor Guard honored those who had passed. Gold Star daughter Maureen Hickman Caporaso accepted the flag. Her father, Vincent Joseph Hickman, was shot down and killed in 1964 over South Vietnam. Due to enemy forces controlling the area, troops were unable to get to the crash site until five days later, and unfortunately, were not able to find any evidence of survivors, graveyards or remains of any kind.
U.S. Marine veterans salute from the stands. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“It’s been over 60 years since this happened, and to this day, his remains have still not been recovered,” said Thy. “Maureen has never stopped in her search for her father and even went looking for herself last year in the hopes of being able to find something – she didn’t. She’s been working with multiple agencies and organizations in this quest and will not give up until she and her family get the answers they are so desperately waiting for.”
As the event concluded, veterans and their families mingled, sharing stories, shaking hands, and embracing. For many, it was a long-overdue moment of recognition and healing.
A moving Memorial Flag Folding Ceremony by the New Jersey National Guard Honor Guard honored those who passed. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
The day also featured a veteran resource fair, where service officers were available to assist attendees. Local businesses and organizations provided food and drinks, and special lapel pins were distributed.
Amid the gathering, a solemn truth remained – Prisoners of War (POWs) and those Missing in Action (MIAs) were not forgotten. A dedicated POW-MIA table in the cafeteria served as a poignant reminder of their sacrifice.
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