Portsmouth Pays Tribute to Veterans

Vietnam Veterans got special recognition at a ceremony in Portsmouth on Tuesday.

About 200 Vietnam veterans gathered at Portsmouth High School for the ceremony, which included the presentation of certificates of proclamation along with hats and bracelets that were offered as a small token for their service.

The ceremony was coordinated by Project Blue Star Coordinator Carolyn Evans-Carbery and members of American Legion Post 18, VFW Post 5390 and their Auxiliaries.

Vietnam veterans fought at a time of civil strife here in the United States, and the war grew increasingly unpopular. As a nation, we have a blemish in the record of how we treated those veterans when their tours ended. They often faced a cold and dejected reality upon returning home. And this year, in Portsmouth, it was time to give them that “Welcome Home” they have deserved for so long.

The keynote speaker was Mackubin Thomas Owens, a Marine infantry veteran of Vietnam and professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College in Newport.

Meanwhile, the Portsmouth Town Council has declared this week as Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Week.

Several Portsmouth residents and Vietnam veterans shared their stories in this great Providence Journal piece.