Vietnam Era Veterans to be recognized at Oct. 9 ceremony

Leading the recognition efforts in Salem, as well as dozens of others across Missouri, is Waynesville’s Freddie Brock. A retired Command Sergeant Major from U.S. Army’s Military Police Corps, Brock’s dedication is fueled by his service and fact his father completed three tours of duty in Vietnam.

“My father went to Vietnam three times in 1964, 1966 and 1970, and we never talked about it until 2003 when I went to Afghanistan the first time,” Brock said. “I came home, then he opened up and talked about Vietnam and some things that went on over there. Here I am, almost 40 years old, and this is the first time I hear my dad talk about Vietnam.”

Brock said even 50 years after leaving the armed forces, some veterans from the Vietnam Era still hesitate to be recognized, and a few have told Brock his ceremonies were the first time they’d been personally thanked for their service. A Vietnam Era Veteran himself, LaBrash said the experience of coming home during the late 1960s and early 1970s was far different than today.

“When these guys came home, I’m including me, there was no attitude of ‘thank you for your service,’” LaBrash said. “It was like, maybe you were the lowest kind of citizen there was. Everybody didn't have that attitude, but that was the prevailing attitude.”

The Vietnam War Commemoration was approved by Congress in 2012 help heal past wounds. Brock became involved in organizing recognition ceremonies for Vietnam Era Veterans in 2021 and has pinned more than 1,000 veterans. In fact, the number stood at 1,078 the day of Brock’s interview, with two more planned the next morning. The ceremonies have taken place across Missouri in civic centers, nursing homes and hospital rooms from Springfield to St. Joseph. The events have also ranged in size from more than 100 people attending to honoring a single individual.

“Every ceremony has a story to it,” Brock said. “We did one in Springfield with a veteran and his daughter. He was suffering from dementia, and he had his ID tags. He wanted to show us his tags. He knew those ID tags meant something to him, even with dementia. To see that connection, it really means something, because all veterans have those ID tags.”

The Oct. 9 recognition ceremony in Salem will include comments from dignitaries followed by veterans receiving a certificate of appreciation for their service as well as being honored with a commemorative pin.

“Don’t think you're going to be in the spotlight, and somebody is going to ask you a bunch of questions,” LaBrash said, later adding, “It’s a nice ceremony. You go to one end of the stage and you receive your certificate of appreciation, and then you turn around and go to the other end of the stage where someone will pin your pin on you. The beautiful thing of it is the families are there to see it. The honor they receive is late and little, but their families are standing there to see it.”

LaBrash says all veterans of the Vietnam Era are welcome, regardless of their assignments, stations, or duties while in the military. Even if a veteran doesn’t want to attend the ceremony, organizers will make sure they will receive a certificate and pin if contacted by a family member or friend.

“Before you can have war fighters, you have to have the infrastructure and logistics to deliver to the war fighters,” LaBrash said. “That's why every man that ever put on a uniform, raised his hand, took the oath of enlistment and went and did what he was told, where he was told, when he was told – those are heroes, American heroes.”

Although the official 13-year commemoration will close this Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Brock says he’ll make whatever personal efforts are necessary to continue to recognize Vietnam Era Veterans.

“We'll continue going as long as we can,” Brock said. “They used to have a pin for the surviving spouse, and then last year they stopped making that pin. I'm assuming the pins that we present they'll stop making those eventually, but we still have our certificates. As long as we got a computer, we can recognize somebody.”

Anyone interested in attending the Oct. 9 ceremony or obtaining a Vietnam Era Veteran recognition for a friend or loved one should call Richard LaBrash at 573-729-1394, Dave Pace at 573-247-3147 or Clay Lindsey at 314-954-7980 for more information.