Honoring Vietnam Veterans

Thanks to the generous support of Springboro, Ohio, a memorial location is now possible. This memorial will serve as a lasting testament to the bravery, service, and sacrifice of our Vietnam Veterans, ensuring that their legacy endures for future generations. Currently in the development stage, this project needs your support. 

• By Mail:  Most preferred method to save a 2.75% transaction fee by sending a check payable to "City of Springboro - Vietnam Veterans Memorial" to Attn:  Chris Pozzuto, 320 West Central Avenue, Springboro, OH 45066.
• Online:  Click HERE to donate online, 2.9% +$0.30 will be deducted by the financial institution involved.

     The Vietnam War has ended almost half a century ago, it leaves behind a legacy that includes both controversy and heroism. At the end however, we must not forget the tremendous and ultimate sacrifices of soldiers from both the US and South Vietnamese who fought to protect US interest and maintain freedom for the South Vietnamese. In the US alone, there are 58,267 names listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Out of this, there were 3,094 representing Ohio’s heroic sacrifices. Building a remembrance memorial to commemorate these sacrifices is fitting and will leave behind a legacy of deep appreciation for future generations. The presence of this remembrance also reminds us to honor those heroes who are still with us.

     The Vietnam War was a highly controversial conflict resulted in tremendous loss, and surviving US soldiers found themselves caught in the crossfire of media scrutiny and political debate. This publicity had a significant impact on their personal lives, both during and after the war. These soldiers were often depicted negatively by the media along with Hollywood and portrayed as mindless killers of innocent victims of a senseless war. This portrayal eroded public support and extended a bad-guy image for Vietnam veterans who were there to fight for the interest of America and stop the spread of communism in Asia. Returning soldiers were treated with hostility and often met with protests and degrading accusations. They felt unappreciated, isolated, and alienated. Bombarded with news and protests, Vietnam veterans were forced to confront difficult moral dilemmas that torture their conscience, leading to internal struggles and psychological distress. They felt outcasted from society plus the lack of social and medical support made it difficult for them to reintegrate into society and find employment. Even with family, the strain was there from the emotional and psychological scars of war experiences which made it difficult to reconnect with loved ones and often resulted in separations or divorces. Worst, there was a total of 22,736 suicides from 1979 to 2019 nationally among veterans who had been deployed to Vietnam (ref: Tim Bullman at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.) 

     We recognize all Vietnam veterans who had sacrificed for the Vietnam war: soldiers who came back in caskets, those returned with physical and/or mental illness, and those who had taken their lives due to the extreme trauma from the war. We gratefully acknowledge all these veterans because their bravery, suffering, and sacrifice that have afforded us a comfortable life with freedom and stability. Yes, as children of these veterans we have benefited greatly, and we must remind future generations to appreciate the tremendous price others have paid to allow for our good life.  Their sacrifices protected our freedom, preserved security, and ensured a safer world. We continue to learn from their experiences and model our lives after their heroism, resilience, perseverance, brotherhood, and overcoming of adversities. We are children of veterans who feel a deeper connection to our parents and appreciate the sacrifices they made for the family, and we are inspired to serve our country in our own way, whether through military service, public service, or volunteer work. We carry on our parents' legacy of service and commitment to their community thus further expanding the innate human caring and protection behavior of fellow kind.

     The presence of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Remembrance not only recognizes but also reminds us to reflect on the ultimate sacrifices and hardships Vietnam Veterans had made while many other veterans continue to endure hardships to this day. Only through these reflections and appreciation that we could continue their work to protect liberty, freedom and be able to pass on the pursuit of happiness to our future generations. War is not good if it is for aggression and conquest, but defending the American way of life and maintaining global peace is absolutely necessary. The media propaganda exploited war damages and atrocities and turned the public against our defenders of freedom who fought for our liberty and our values. Our veterans deserve recognition and remembrance.