BARNEGAT – The community came together once again on March 29 to honor Vietnam veterans – this time, on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. The date is officially known as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
For the event’s organizer, Barnegat resident Thy Cavagnaro, showing gratitude to Vietnam veterans is a deeply personal matter. Thy said she was just a young girl when her family escaped the fall of Saigon and was welcomed to the United States as refugees.
Clad in a traditional Vietnamese dress, she spoke about the incredible support she and her family received from Americans who opened their homes and helped them integrate into society. Meanwhile, Thy also took the opportunity to address the mistreatment of Vietnam veterans. She recognized the trauma the returning soldiers endured, being forced to fight in a war they didn’t want to be in and being ostracized when they came home.
Veterans were invited as special guests. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“You survived the majority of your lives for many, many decades by not talking about the war nor your participation in it,” said Thy. “To hide and bury that part of your history deep down inside you. You’ve been through hell and back, lived a nightmare, and are still living it at times – for people like me.”
A hush swept over the room as many attendees’ eyes seemed to drift back to their times overseas. The moment was not lost on Major General Clark Martin, a Vietnam veteran with 100 combat missions flown over Vietnam.
“There were actually as many veterans in this room that I stood with in line in Bangkok for five hours waiting to get on a DCF to fly back home from Southeast Asia,” recalled Martin. “That airplane held 286 of us.”
Martin shared details of his service, saying he enlisted rather than waiting for his number to come up in the draft. He saw military duty as his patriotic duty, while others volunteered to fight, hoping to have more control over where and when, and how they served. Some saw the military as a means of economic security or a way out of bad situations. Those drafted were pulled away from their lives – something Martin said today’s youth could not begin to imagine.
Barnegat students played and sang patriotic songs. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Some would give the ultimate sacrifice never to return home to loved ones. Those who made it back faced ridicule, heckling, and were even spit upon.
“The US war in Vietnam triggered the most tenacious anti-war movement in US history,” Martin said. “Seems to me when I left in 1967, I was a patriot. When I returned in 1968, I was a criminal. And, I’m sure that’s what happened to a lot more people.”
Thy and her husband Jim began a local campaign of thanking Vietnam vets that included the erection of a memorial monument in the downtown area in 2018. One of the couple’s goals is to involve local students in the annual events so that the legacy of gratitude can continue for years to come.
Veterans were invited as special guests. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
As part of the event’s opening ceremony, the flag was presented and displayed by the Barnegat High School Navy ROTC Color Guard, while the pledge of allegiance was led by Vincent Lorenzo, a fifth-grade student who had been the event’s keynote speaker the previous year.
The Barnegat High School Navy ROTC Color Guard presented the flag to open the ceremony. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Students from the Russell O. Brackman Middle School Chorus sang the National Anthem, while a local group named the Waterview Singers delivered “God Bless America.”
When the Armed Forces Medley was played by the Barnegat High School Marching Band, representatives from each branch of the military stood with pride.
The event was graced by the presence of local and state officials, including Assemblywoman Diane Gove, Barnegat Mayor Pasquale “Pat” Pipi, the entire Township Committee, Stafford Mayor Greg Myhre, and the members of the Stafford town council, some of whom also delivered speeches.
Barnegat students played and sang patriotic songs. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Hannah Cronen, a junior at Barnegat High School, distinguished herself by playing “Taps” on the bugle, honoring both the living and fallen veterans who served their country with time and sacrifice. The slow and mournful notes acted as a deeply meaningful tribute.
American Legion Post 232, VFW Post 10092, the Barnegat Township Committee, Barnegat Schools and the Cavagnaros co-sponsored the event, which included refreshments supplied courtesy of Wawa and Barnegat BD Bakery classes.
Veterans were invited as special guests. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
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