Donald Clinesmith watched a reconditioned helicopter that was used during the Vietnam War rise in the air in Caro on Saturday. He said it brought up memories of getting on one of these helicopters during his service as an infantryman in Vietnam in 1970.
Then, Clinesmith approached a travelling copy of the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial that spent this past weekend in Caro. Looking at the engraved names on the black wall, Clinesmith said he stopped by the memorial to visit some of his old friends.
“It’s something else to see people that you knew personally, that didn't come back from the action that they were at the same place you were,” he said. “They're on the wall so we can remember them.”
“The Moving Wall” is a copy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that’s in the Washington D.C. with 58,318 names of American soldiers killed in Vietnam.
It was brought to Caro by the local American Legion for the second time. First, it was here 21 years ago. It travelled to Michigan from California, and after its stay here, it will go to Texas.
Hank Kuhne, who led the initiative to bring the memorial to Caro, said it took a year of organization and lots of support from the community. He said several hundred people visited the memorial.
For Kuhne, who served in Vietnam war for two years in the Marine Corps, having this memorial in the community and receiving such support is special.
“It really has some deep feelings for me,” he said. “Having been involved in this so long ago and seeing the treatment the veterans got when they came back to the United States really hurt at that time, but now ... to see the people out here today just makes my heart swell.”
When Kuhne returned from Vietnam, he said he didn’t feel welcome.
“I was on a ship that came back to San Francisco, and there was actual protests there against the ‘baby killers,’ or against ... the guys that went to Vietnam, which were just doing their duty,” Kuhne said. “And it seems like over the years, the thinking has changed on that, and today, the veterans get much more recognition than they did 50 years ago.”
Karlee Williams grew up in a military family; both her dad and grandfather are veterans. She said she came out to visit the memorial to honor those lost in combat in Vietnam.
“It's important to remember those who fought for our country and why we have freedom here,” she said.
Zach Howey said he pays respect to the history of the Vietnam War in a unique way. He’s been collecting Vietnam era artifacts since he was 6 years old. His collection includes different weapons, uniforms, books and even a jeep.
This past weekend he travelled to Caro from Warren to display his Vietnam era museum next to “The Moving Wall.”
The reason for this collection and why it’s so dear to Howey is because he said three of his grandfathers served during Vietnam. But when they came back home, Howey said they were attacked by people for being a Vietnam War veteran.
“[The] Vietnam War may be history for some people, but for these veterans, they live it every day still,” Howey said. “I'm gonna make sure that these guys get the respect and honor they deserve, even though it's been years ago.
“We live with our freedom today because of these people, so we should be able to respect them ... and bring their memories back for them so they can cope with it and heal.”
