Vancouver resident Ann Donnelly mulls the meaning of the Vietnam war in our history
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
On Aug. 2, the Vancouver community gathered on the historic Parade Grounds for a ceremony to honor the 59 soldiers from Clark County who perished in the Vietnam war.
Lynn Vaughn, First Sergeant (Ret.) of AMVETS #16 and Patriot Guard Riders, organized the event, one of several he has created in his Never to be Forgotten series.
Also participating were members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Combat Veterans, Civil Air Patrol, National Parks Service, family members of the honorees, and representatives of the Vietnamese Community from Clark County and Portland.
Vaughn explained that “a hero dies three times…first…on the battlefield…second when returned home and buried…and third when their name is never spoken again. We are here to ensure our heroes never experience their third death.”
Counting several young children and a 100-year-old World War II veteran, the audience spanned five generations. Perhaps only a few of us – I from the boomer generation – thought to mull the meaning of the Vietnam war in our history.
Now, 50 years after the fall of Saigon, should the conflict be viewed as a necessary episode in a much longer struggle still hanging in the balance?
Suppose the U.S. had not joined the fight but instead allowed the unchecked spread of communist domination in southeast Asia. How would southeast Asia, the southern Pacific, and the world be different today?
In the keynote address, Patrick Locke, a Vietnam veteran, spoke of our obligation to re-assess the 1955 to 1975 conflict and those who gave their lives: “Their sacrifice came during a time when our country was torn…Many of us, myself included, returned through airports and bus stations alone – not to cheers, but to jeers…”
“But today, we reclaim that dignity. We say clearly that those who served in Vietnam deserve the respect, the gratitude, the honor owed to every American who risks their life for our country.”
A flyover of F15s in the cloudless sky was supplemented by a Huey helicopter flyover, distinctly evocative of the Vietnam conflict. The whirring of its rotor blades began distantly, barely audibly, then finally the Huey circled the Parade Grounds. The sound may have reminded the veterans watching below of their own rescue from the remote terrain, or of the departure of their fallen buddies for transport home.
To honor each of Clark County’s 59 fallen, leaders in Vancouver’s veterans’ community, including Larry J. Smith, read their dates of birth, enlistment, and service, when arrived in Vietnam, when and where died, their medals and places of burial.
For each, the final words were: “on this 2nd day of August 2025, you shall never be forgotten.” With each promise, it seemed a wrong was made right. Decades after their passing, we began to know each one.
Was the cause worthy? The words of one honored fallen Marine Corporal Robert Mettert, ultimately made sense of the sacrifice. In 1967, on leave before his second tour in Vietnam, he spoke to his former classmates: “I happen to love my country. We had to fight for our freedom when we were getting started as a free county. Now we are a rich and a powerful nation, and I feel we have an obligation to help others fight for their freedom.”
Mettert was killed in battle on May 7, 1967, age 20.
After the ceremony, I sought comments from the delegation from the Vietnamese Communities of Clark County and of Oregon. A spokesman, Mr. Minh Pham, who stated he came to the U.S. as a refugee at age 15, explained that they came to “honor the sacrifices” of the Clark County soldiers.
Ann Donnelly
Vancouver
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