Honoring Vietnam veterans at remembrance ceremony in Biloxi
Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day and veterans from across the Coast gathered for a remembrance ceremony.
It has been 50 years since the final American military forces left Vietnam and the remaining prisoners of war were returned.
To honor those who sacrificed their lives for us, a remembrance ceremony was held at the Biloxi National Cemetery. Crusaders for Veterans President Kevin Cuttill said, “Our ceremony was a chance to let our Vietnam veterans get welcomed home properly, get them thanks for the service they provided.”
The ceremony was filled with pride and tears as veterans and loved ones placed pins on a wreath to remember those who are no longer here. “It’s kind of like an honor and respect those who are still with us and remember and love those who are gone.”
Guests from several organizations and veterans spoke at the ceremony. A special presentation took place for two Gold Star daughters who were presented with unaccounted for pins. Diana Moore was one of those presented with a pin. She lost her father, Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Moore, when she was 11 years old. “He was captured in 1965 in Vietnam with two other people and he was not repatriated at the end of the war and he is considered to this day, MIA, unaccounted for.”
When many of the veterans returned home from war, they were not treated with much respect. In 2017, President Barack Obama proclaimed March 29th as Vietnam War Veterans Day and that date was established officially and permanently by law and was signed by President Donald Trump. “You know, they just lived with this horrible come home from war to their local towns of disrespect. It’s bad that it has taken over 50 years to give them respect.”
Moore says ceremonies like this bring back so many emotions, but at least her father is being properly remembered. “To be able to see these ex patriots to be remembered the way they should have been decades ago, it helps with part of my healing with losing my dad.”
