About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2022)
Wednesday, April 6,2022 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 7A Community remembers Vietnam veterans’ sacrifices By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com Reading from a heart felt script, Don Brown reminded an audience of veterans, their loved ones and other community members that “it’s up to us not to forget those who gave some and those who gave all.” The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 970 held a ceremony to com memorate National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29 at Dawson County’s Veterans Memorial Park. Just a few years ago, at the end of 2017, then- U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law that made an official national holiday to honor Vietnam veterans on March 29. That date marks the last day of combat troops in the southeast Asian coun try in 1973. Chapter 970 president Bill Martin, a U.S. Army veteran, helped set the tone for the event by recalling how the Vietnam War, unlike America’s previous major conflicts, did not receive a positive reception in the United States. However, he said that circumstances generally allowed service members from all five branches to form “a brotherhood that can never be replaced.” “They’ve got our backs, and we’ve got theirs,” Martin said of those from the other branches. Don Brown, also an Army veteran, elaborated on Martin’s sentiments by reading the former’s words. Brown mentioned that returning Vietnam veterans were often disre spected or even regarded as villains. “When they came home there was no wel come, only protests against participation in the war. Our own fellow veterans from World War II and Korea threw us under the bus. Many didn't want us as mem bers of their veterans organizations.” The words “welcome home” were not heard outside of families, nor was the phrase “thank you” from strangers. “Today is to honor us in the way [we] should have been honored then,” Brown said. He explained that some people in the country have wondered why vet erans from the Vietnam era complain, and in doing so, they miss the point. “It’s not what other folks think but it’s about us...[it’s about] remem bering and not forgetting until the last of us is gone.” Matt Pesce, the group’s chaplain and veteran of the army’s 101st airborne division, delivered the keynote speech during the ceremony. As he spoke in front of the memorial park’s mon ument of a helmet-and- rifle statue, he NORTH GA MOUNTAINS MmfMi ,t||| , SfepN1 i til Julia Fechter Dawson County News Army veteran and Chapter 970 Public Affairs Officer Don Brown rings a bell to remember each of the county's Vietnam veterans who have since died. recalled his battalion would hold monthly ser vices for the fallen sol diers, often setting up a helmet on top of a rifle to honor them. A chaplain would pray, and the battalion com mander would slowly read the names of dead soldiers. One could tell what platoon the fallen were from by where the crying came from in the assembly, Pesce said. After such a service, it wasn’t uncommon for him and others to load onto a chopper for their next assault, with “blood in their eyes.” He also shared a poem about his experience as a soldier during that time. Before enlisting, he and others viewed the 1960s as a time of change. Racism was being chal lenged, and women were likewise challenging the status quo. “Nobody knew much about war,” Pesce said. “I wrote the first check to my country at 18 years old, for an amount that no one could estimate-up to and including my life.” After training, he wished goodbye to his family members, who had mixed reactions about his participation in the con flict. In return for his ser vice, the government promised Pesce $78 a month. But, like with many other service mem bers, the conflict was often more than what he bargained for. During military encounters, he had to navigate being parched, drenched in sweat or eat ing with one hand and holding his rifle with the other. He described nar rowly fleeing jets drop ping incendiary napalm and the “incredible level of insanity” behind “los ing half of our men and walking away” like “they continued the Navy’s tra dition of ringing a bell for passed Vietnam ser vice members after their names were read. Those late members include: • Randall Densmore, Army • T.G. Gunny Moore, Marines • Alan C. Wade, Air Force • Sherman “Tank” Heaton, Air Force • Arthur “Art” Dover, Air Force • William J. Misko, Army • Rick Fehernbach, Army • William “Bill” Repella, Army • John V. Bryant, Marines • Michael McCue, Army • Bill Brown, Army • Wayne Watkins, Army • Larry Harris, Navy and Army • Tom Gurnsey, Air Force • Dale Cheney, Air Force • Jim McQuirt, Air Force • Marvin E. York, Army • Victor Wallace, Marines • Thomas Begush, Army He later rang the bell eight times to signify those men’s watch was over and all was well. Veterans from the Vietnam War and more recent conflicts attended the ceremony. Thatcher Helton with the PTSD Foundation of America came to the occasion to show sup port. He is also a seven- year army veteran from the war in Afghanistan. “They showed us a lot of support,” he said, looking at Bill Martin, “because they gave us the ‘welcome home’ that they didn’t get.” Doggy Spotlight Etowah Water and Sewer Authority awarded Plant of the Year award By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com In a press release this week, the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority announced that its Dawson Forest Water Reclamation facility has received the Georgia Association of Water Professionals Plant of the Year Award for 2021. According to the release, this award recog nizes the best operated and maintained water rec lamation facility in the state. The Dawson Forest Water Reclamation facil ity has received the Plant of the Year award in 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2019, and the facility has also received the Georgia Association of Water Professionals plat inum award for the past 9 years. “These Plant of the Year and Platinum Awards are a testament to the diligence and non stop hard work ethics of the management and staff of the water recla mation facility and main tenance departments,” General Manager Brooke Anderson said in the release. “We are blessed to have excellent staff of top operators and employees. Our employ ees truly enjoy serving the community of Dawson County with excellence in water and sewer services.” Meet our little Ella! This gorgeous girl is looking for a quiet home with owners who love to snuggle and cuddle. Ella loves attention and would gladly bask in pets and affection all day if given the chance. Ella is a people pleaser, and loves being close and around people and she can suffer from mild to moderate anxiety when left alone because she loves her people so much. An ideal home for Ella would be one where one owner spends the majority of the day at home with her, or is able to take her out and about with them, or a home with another fur friend to keep her company when her owners are away. Big dogs can be intimidating to Ella, but she is very fond of and friendly with dogs close to or smaller than her in size. If your looking for a snuggly couch potato, come see Ella today! She is about 3 and a half years old and weighs 49 pounds. For more information contact the 706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Rd, Dawsonville Dawson County Humane Society Adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex Visit our RESALE SHOP & BOUTIQUE All proceeds benefits Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd. the Humane bocietv Dawsonville Veterinary Hospital 706-265-8381 ANH Collision Specialists 706-216-0992 103 Industrial Park Road, Dawsonville Bradley M. Maple CPA, PC 706-216-2362 2390 Thompson Rd • Ste 100 Dawsonville 706-265-9160 didn’t matter.” He wondered why he and his comrades were even there. “I, we, had a vision, but it was painfully wrong. We weren’t fighting for our country. We weren’t fighting for freedom. We were fighting not to die.” Pesce reminded the audience of more than 58,000 who died in ser vice and “never got to live the American dream.” Another 500,000 were injured, with 100,000 los ing pieces of their bodies and a million “losing their souls to the invisi ble wound, PTSD.” In Pesce’s case, his war ended with a year in the hospital with bullet wounds. He chronicled his own struggle to fit in after getting home, stating that if he wasn’t also a Korea combat veteran, proba bly would’ve taken even longer to find a job than three-and-a-half months. Thirty years later, the Department of Veteran Affairs acknowledged the two most prolific killers of the war, PTSD and Agent Orange. Pesce has also advocat ed for efforts to get homeless veterans off the streets, a problem he called a “national shame.” “We need to do some thing about that, because they don’t deserve to die ragged and poor on the streets,” he said. He ended with a prayer. As part of those words, he gave thanks for “those today serving our country, wherever they are.” After Pesce’s speech, Brown, an Army veteran, Dawson County Humane Society a no kill shelter KUIudI £ WE ARE HIRING ► Must Have Valid Driver License ► Must Be Able to Drive Non-CDL Commercial Vehicles ► Pay Based On Experience $16-$18 Per Hour ► Paid Holidays And Vacation SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY 770-503-5623
