35 cents
VOL. 3/ISSUE 24
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
Indian River will celebrate Armed Forces Day
Paying respect Charles Brown, Vero Beach, an Army veteran of Vietnam, examines the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall April 10 for the names of his buddies who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The Traveling Wall was the main feature of activities that took place April 8-13 at the Florida Atlantic University campus in Jupiter paying tribute to those who died in the war. See story and more photos inside.
Mary Kemper STAFF WRITER
mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com
The Victory Center An event celebrating Armed Forces Day May 16 will offer a 10-percent discount on all will be held at the Indian store merchandise for River Mall, Vero Beach. veterans with military Veterans, active-duty milidentification (such as itary, family and friends retiree cards, VA medare encouraged to come ical card, DD214 form help give thanks to all of or veteran’s designathose who have worn, or tion on your driver’s are wearing, the uniform license). in service of our country. The area in front of the Victory Center store will be the main staging area. A ceremony will open the day at 11:30 p.m., and will feature a Color Guard provided by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1038. The keynote speaker will be former Air Force Col. Martin Zickert, who will give his speech in uniform. He is also past president of Indian River Veterans Council (please see past Veteran Voice coverage of Zickert, including his wife’s recent death from
See CELEBRATE page 3
Staff photo by Mary Kemper
Fall of Saigon 40 years later Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
patrick.mccallister@yahoo.com
It ended on April 30, 1975. That’s the day President Dương Van Minh announced the Republic of Vietnam’s surrender to the People’s Army of Vietnam and National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. The day before, the American embassy staff started a widely televised evacuation. Images of Vietnamese thronging to rooftops to leave with the Americans became
one of the most iconic images of Vietnam. To many it’s an image of America’s failures there. “Of all the things I’ve witnessed in my life, that’s one day, one sight, one event that has never left my mind,” Jim Rufino, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America’s Vieira chapter, 1096, said. He added, “It was very difficult for me to comprehend that — that we just pulled the plug. I have (April 30) in my mental calendar since then.”
See SAIGON page 2