Welcome Home: A Salute to Vietnam Veterans
DAR member Connie Van Polen presents Kenneth Mortensen with a book and certificate at Saturday’s ‘A Salute To Vietnam Veterans’
By Hailey Brown
(Oskaloosa, Iowa) – The center court at Penn Central Mall was a hub of activity on Saturday for the annual “Welcome Home & Recognize Vietnam Veterans” event. This year the event was held on Armed Forces Day instead of the traditional date of March 30. Event organizers had something special in mind by holding a large ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, awarding a medallion and certificate to Vietnam War veterans in gratitude of their service. Each serving member had their name read over the span of about an hour during the event. Those not in attendance had the option for family members to accept awards on their behalf.
There was a mix of emotions during the ceremony, which ranged from smiling faces in the crowd, proud salutes to the flag, and for some, tears of sadness and loss. Ages of those in attendance also varied as children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren showed up to support their Vietnam War veteran kin.
Master of Ceremonies was Kim Dixon, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Regent. Veteran Dan Nance opened the ceremony by singing the National Anthem.
Connie Van Polen, a member of DAR, estimated the event to have around 80 or 90 Vietnam veterans in attendance.
“Welcome Home” is a nationwide event that began in 2012 when former President Barack Obama signed a proclamation putting into effect the “Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War,” which will continue until November 11, 2025. The event aims to show gratitude and awareness of veterans who served during the Vietnam War.
This event was sponsored by DAR, Oskaloosa Hy-Vee, Penn Central Mall, and the Oskaloosa Herald.
About the Vietnam War
Since there was no official declaration of the Vietnam War (also known as the Second Indochina War), exact dates for recognition are hard to determine. However, it is now widely accepted that the Vietnam War began November 1, 1955 and lasted until April 30, 1975, spanning roughly 20 years. It has been 43 years since the war ended and 62 years since it unofficially started.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, over 8,500,000 U.S. troops served worldwide during the Vietnam War and over 58,000 U.S. troops were killed during the conflict. There were 1.3 million military deaths for all countries involved and 1 million civilian deaths. The total of American servicemen listed as POW/MIA at the end of the war was 2,646. As of January 15, 2018, 1,601 soldiers remain unaccounted for.
