New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial
2009 Scholarship Winner
Shay Wigginton
On Saturday, December 6, 2008, my father and I drove to Holmdel, N.J. to visit the New Jersey Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Although I was aware of the Memorial's existence, I knew very little about it. I have been a member of the Manchester High School N.J.R.O.T.C. program for all four years of my high school career and my ambition is to attend SUNY Maritime College in preparation to serve as a career officer in the U.S. Navy. I decided I should wear my uniform to the Memorial out of respect to those New Jersey military personnel who sacrificed their life in the service of their country and to show my full support for all veterans.
I chose this date since the website stated that there would be guided tours at 11A.M. and 1P.M. and, knowing that the tours were conducted by Vietnam Veteran volunteers, I was certain that I would get a greater insight of the Memorial's purpose and history than making the journey alone. Little did I know at that time what an impact this hour of visitation would have on my life. Upon entering the Educational Center we signed in and noticed a group of about 50 people enjoying a luncheon. We told the welcome desk volunteer we were here for the 1P.M. tour. Although it was only about 12:45 P.M. , we were asked if we ready to take the tour now. We replied favorably and the volunteer took us to a table and introduced us to a man named Ken who would be our guide. Recognizing my uniform, Ken asked what high school R.O.T.C. program I was in. We proceeded out the rear door of the center and followed the walkway as Ken proceeded to provide us with his military background. He explained that he was in college during the Vietnam draft but had not been the best of students. He dropped a course that he was not doing well in and his full-time student status become part-time. When he received notice he was now draft eligible, he tried to join the Navy and Air Force but it seemed everyone else was already on the waiting lists. At that point he joined the Army and was offered an opportunity to be a helicopter pilot. He thought, "how cool is that", unaware that this vocation had the highest casualty rate at the time.
Ken explained that his job was to search for downed helicopters so they could be recovered and repaired but on a number of occasions he would be dispatched to pick up wounded and deliver them to medical facilities similar to those in the movie and television show "MASH". He told us of his "luxurious" officer quarters; which was simply a roof over a bed, and how on some nights the temperature dropped near freezing after reaching one hundred during the day. On this chilly afternoon in December, history took a persona as his stories continued while we walked through a tunnel or underpass from what Ken referred to as leaving the "real world" and entering a world of suffering, conflict and sorrow. He explained that a nearby group of trees had been planted with the same distance between them that soldiers on patrol were to be spaced to minimize losses from a mortar or grenade. He talked about seeing soldiers bathed in Agent Orange. We stopped at the statue of a fallen soldier being helped by a female nurse and his comrade standing over him. He explained it not only represented both gender of soldiers but the Caucasian, Hispanic and African-American races involved in the conflict. He told us that we could tell the wounded man was in the Army since his shirt was out of his pants but the standing soldier had his shirt tucked in his pants as required by the Marines. Near the statue was a bouquet of flowers, a can of Budweiser beer and a pack a Marlboro cigarettes. This was a common way for a parent, relative or friend to remember a lost serviceman by leaving some sort of material item that was associated with him in life.
We walked up the stairs and around the circular walkway containing 366 polished black granite panels representing the days of the year inclusive of a leap year. Names of 1562 New Jersey residents, 1561 men and 1 woman, were listed under the day they were killed or reported missing with their date of birth. I stopped at the October 26th panel and felt the irony of the beginning of my life occurring on the same day that about a half dozen men, about my age, had theirs ended. We learned that this beautiful tribute was designed by a South Vietnamese refuge in 1975, twenty years before the Memorial was dedicated in 1995. We learned that the panel on which the Vietnam War ended, May 7th, was pointing due west toward Vietnam itself. Ken also showed us a number of pavers with the names and dates of military personnel whose lives were lost as a result of the war but not in combat such as suicide and exposure to Agent Orange. To my surprise, I learned that the Memorial is open 24 hours a day every day of the year. A quiet refuge, easily accessible and always available, for those loved ones left behind whose memories need a place to dwell.
Ken told us a story about when he returned after his tour of duty how he and his friends were treated by a group of protesters at the airport. They were cursed and spat on and blamed for the political decisions that were made by our government. Even though the returning soldiers were told to expect this, he could never understand how his country could treat them as criminals and the enemy.
Ken asked me if I planned on enlisting in the Navy. I told him my dream was to attend SUNY Maritime next year and enter as an officer. His eyes seemed to sparkle and a slight smile appeared as he told us his son was a West Point Graduate. My father asked if his son was now serving as an officer in the Army. Although he tried to hide his emotion, it was not difficult to see pain etched on his face as he informed us his son was killed in the Iraq war. After an awkward condolence by my father, the subject of his son would no longer enter the conversation. We could tell that was the way it had to be.
As we walked toward the U.S. War Dogs Memorial, Ken told us when he returned from duty he never talked about his experiences in Vietnam or became involved in Veterans' organizations until the last four or five years. It seemed to me that it took him over 30 years to finally defeat the demons that haunted him and I realized how grateful people like me should be that he won his own personal war. We looked at the statue of a soldier kneeling by his canine partner and read the names of these animals that served honorably alongside our troops engraved on pavers. Ken explained that there were no medals or citations for the surviving dogs when the war ended. Most of them were euthanized.
They had been trained so well in wartime skills that it was expensive and difficult to retrain them for civilian life. It became clear that the aftershocks of war not only impacted mankind but also "mans' best friend".
We reentered the Vietnam Era Educational Center and thanked Ken for the knowledge and experiences shared with us. At that moment I realized if I were to read a hundred books on the Vietnam War I could never come as close to understanding what it was like to be there as spending 30 minutes with Ken. He was quickly ushered away to the podium in the center of the room to talk and answer questions from a number of visitors. My father and I continued to walk the perimeter of the Educational Center looking at the many pictures of the Vietnam War era and reading the many emotional letters available from soldiers, now gone, to their loved ones. One poignant letter was from a Vietnamese women sent to the family of a deceased soldier telling them of how he provided her family with a Christmas tree and how grateful she was.
I left the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and Educational Center a different person than when I entered. I became more sure than ever of my military career choice. When I think of the way our returning troops were treated, I am ashamed. I think our entire country is now ashamed. Today the Iraq war is unpopular with many but the troops are treated like the heroes they are. If enough of our citizens believe that our government is wrong, we can change it. After all, isn't that what we have fought for since the inception of our country? Isn't Democracy that form of government that allows for the majority of people to make the decisions as to how the country shall be run and who will be in the leadership roles?
Today our W.W. I veterans are gone. Those who served our country in W.W. II are fewer with each passing day. We are so fortunate that we still have the brave men and women who fought in W.W. II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the wars with Iraq to thank. Perhaps the next time Memorial Day or Veterans' Day arrives we will not think of just a day off from school or work. Perhaps we will attend a ceremony or place a wreath or flag on the gravesite of a veteran. Perhaps the next time we see a veteran selling a poppy or collecting for disabled veterans, we will not only donate but stop for a moment and thank them for their service.
Every day I put on my Navy R.O.T.C. uniform I wear it proudly and someday I will wear the uniform of a Naval Officer proudly and honor those who wore it before me. I pray that someday the only time guns fired by soldiers will be skyward in a 21 gun salute to our heroes-our veterans. That all mankind will learn to live in peace and educate and aid those in need. I hope that when I serve in the military it will be in a peacekeeping and humanitarian capacity. But I will forever stand ready to protect my country from those who seek to harm it as did the veterans throughout the history of this great country.