By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A special ceremony at St. Joseph’s Word of Life Church will recognize Vietnam War veterans and officially thank them for their service during a very divisive time in United States history.
St. Joseph City Manager, Mike Schumacher, calls the Vietnam Era Commemoration Ceremony Monday morning the right thing to do.
“Many of our veterans from the Vietnam era didn’t receive a thank you and they deserve a thank you for their service,” Schumacher tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
This isn’t just for St. Joseph residents, but for veterans throughout the region.
The Association of the United States Army, Henry Leavenworth Chapter and the Veterans Home in Cameron are participating in the ceremony.
Schumacher says this ceremony goes beyond the divisive politics at the time of the Vietnam War.
“What’s really important is that the people that served our country during that era and during that time are welcomed home and receive a thank you for what they did and that’s the real goal,” Schumacher says. “It’s a very apolitical conversation, so to speak. It’s all about making sure they get a thank you.”
The City of St. Joseph is partnering with veterans from Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas as well as the Veterans Administration Clinic in Cameron, which has about 130 Vietnam War veterans.
Schumacher says the ceremony grows from federal legislation formally recognizing the contributions of the veterans who served in the Vietnam War. President Barack Obama signed into law the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration program in 2012.
The pin veterans will receive Monday morning is an official pin from the federal government.
“Kind of backs that legislation, where I think the government, the federal government, has recognized that we could have done this better and it’s time to make it right," Schumacher says.
The Vietnam Era Commemoration Ceremony will begin at 10 o’clock Monday morning at Word of Life Church on Riverside Road in St. Joseph. Veterans who served from November 1st of 1955 to May 15th of 1975 will be honored.
More than 55 veterans have registered. Advance registration is requested, but not required. You can email Kaycee Garton at kgarton@stjosephmo.gov or call 816-271-4680 to register. You can also go online at stjosephmo.gov.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ