Celebration Of Vietnam Veterans Returns To Barnegat

BARNEGAT, NJ — When Thy Cavagnaro was just an infant, she and her family came to America as Vietnamese refugees. Now, the Barnegat resident dedicates her time to making sure Vietnam veterans feel supported and appreciated, as she prepares for the town's 2023 Vietnam War Veterans Day celebration.

The event began in 2018, after Cavagnaro was attacked by a Vietnam veteran online who she did not know, saying that he wished he had killed all of her ancestors first.

“I realized other Vietnam veterans must still be imprisoned by the same pain this man was in, so made it a goal to try to reach as many Vietnam veterans as possible to let them know how much people like me and my family deeply appreciated everything all Vietnam veterans did collectively to help fight for our freedom in Vietnam,” Cavagnaro told Patch in 2022. Read more about the 2022 event here.

And this year's event is going to be bigger than ever.

With a new, indoor location of the Barnegat High School main gym, officers from the VA and DAV will be able to provide help with claims on-site. They will be available from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., while the main event kicks off at 3 p.m.

The American flag flying at the school that day was certified to have flown over the U.S. Capitol specifically in honor of this event, requested by Congressman Andy Kim.

Given out will be 600 Vietnam veteran lapel pins, car bumper magnets and 50th anniversary eagle pins.

Major General Clark Martin will be a keynote speaker. He is a Vietnam War combat veteran and served as commander of the New Jersey Air National Guard - Joint Force Headquarters for 23 years.

For the latest information, visit the event's Facebook page. And join Cavagnaro to celebrate Vietnam veterans on March 29 at the Barnegat High School.