American Legion Family members lay wreaths, paying tribute to their own family members and others who served with honor during the Vietnam War.
As a Vietnam-era veteran, American Legion National Vice Commander James Kellogg knew some of the troops whose names are among the 58,749 memorialized on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
Among them: his wife’s twin brother.
Kellogg, a member of Post 146 in Adams, Minn., led an American Legion Family delegation that laid wreaths to commemorate Veterans Day at the Vietnam Wall and the Women’s Vietnam Memorial. Also participating were Auxiliary Vice President Lauren Lloyd and Sons of The American Legion National Vice Commander Harl "Butch" Ray.
“It was very emotional,” said Kellogg, who served as an aircraft radio repairman in the Air Force from 1969 to 1973. “I’ve been out to the wall previously. My wife and I visited it at least 15 years ago. Today was a huge privilege, a great honor.”
Robert Doubek, who served in the Air Force during Vietnam, was a co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He served as the keynote speaker during this year’s ceremonies.
“In the course of its existence, the Wall has become an American cultural icon,” he said. “The Wall is one of the most revered and frequently visited monuments in our country.”
This year, the ceremony noted two anniversaries:
• The 40th anniversary of the dedication of the Three Servicemen Statue, which was added two years after the dedication of the Wall.
• The 20th anniversary of the “In Memory” plaque which recognizes veterans whose premature deaths were due to their service but who were not eligible for recognition by name on the Wall.
Vietnam War veteran Ruby Scheuing recalled her time stationed with the 18th Surgical Hospital in Pleiku, Vietnam. She worked 12-hour days in the post-op area, helping the wounded heal.
“I am humbled to be here on the 31st anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial,” she said, saluting Diane Carlson Evans who made it a reality. “Thank you, Diane, for your service and to make sure the women’s memorial was on the Mall and dedicated on Veterans Day.”
Lloyd’s Auxiliary eligibility is through her father, Vietnam War veteran Thomas “Toby” Markham, and her husband, Eugene “Gene” Lloyd, an Air Force veteran.
This past March, Lloyd lost her father, who served in the Army. She recalled accompanying him to the Wall for the first time about seven years ago.
“My dad was one of those people who never met a stranger,” she recalled. “This older gentleman walked by and looked heartbroken. My dad looked over to him, reached out and just gave him a big hug. He just melted right into my dad. That’s what service is all about. Even though they were complete strangers, they just had this moment that was so beautiful.”
Lloyd, a member of Unit 1 in Washington, D.C., saw the beauty and power of the Wall as she participated in the ceremony.
“This meant a lot to me today to be able to do that,” she said. “Just being able to see all the people and finding a place where everyone feels welcome, and hearing ‘Welcome Home,’ means so much to so many. When they were playing taps, I was trying to keep it together. It was very moving.”
Ray, a member of Squadron 71 in Urbana, Ill., joined the Sons to honor his father’s military service.
“My brother-in-law (Lowell Davis), now deceased, was a Vietnam veteran. He served in ’68 through ’69, and was an orderly in the hospital in Saigon. So to have the opportunity to fill in for the national commander and lay a wreath at the wall put a little bit more weight,” Ray said.
“I always remember a quote from Ronald Reagan, he said, ‘Most people go through their entire lives wanting to know whether or not they made a difference in the world; a veteran doesn’t have that problem.’ And in my involvement with the Sons of The American Legion, I serve to honor my father (Harl H. Ray, a World War II veteran). And it’s what we can do to honor their service, so being there and knowing that my brother-in-law, who died from complications from Agent Orange, he died from bladder cancer, it had a little bit more of a punch for me today.”
- Honor & Remembrance