'All the names are part of the healing'

Vietnam veteran William Van Doren came to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the first time on May 27 of this year. He couldn’t talk about his experience without choking up.

“It means a lot,” said Van Doren, a member of The American Legion Department of New Jersey. “What an honor to be here. I have a classmate from high school. He was killed in 1970. It’s the first time I’ve seen his name. It just means a lot. All these names are part of the healing – all 52,000 who gave their lives.

“The whole atmosphere … never ends. They gave their life, and we’re here … to show them that we care. That will never end.”

Van Doren was one of hundreds of Legion family members who were in or around the nation’s capital over Memorial Day weekend. Van Doren was joined at the Vietnam Wall for a candlelight vigil by Peter Puzzo, commander of the Sons of The American Legion Squadron 189 in Sebastian, Fla. A Legion Rider, Puzzo rode 900 miles over two days to get to D.C.

“This has been has been something I’ve been dying to do for the last 10 years,” Puzzo said. “I have two names on the wall, and I looked for them: a guy I grew up with and one is a fellow who I still carry his bracelet on my bike. He was declared missing in action in 1969, and they did not find his remains until 2011. He’s mine, and he rides with me.

“It’s a very healing effect, but you realize how much you miss them and how much you want to honor their memory. I think that’s the best thing you can do.”

Some of the Legion Riders at the wall during the candlelight vigil arrived via an evening ride that departed Legion Post177 in Fairfax, Va. For the fifth year, the post is serving as a gathering point for Legion Riders in town for Rolling Thunder’s annual Run to the Wall. Nearly 200 Riders registered for the post’s annual Rolling Thunder weekend.

Mike Nicholas, Post 177’s Rolling Thunder Committee chairman and head road captain, said the ride to the Vietnam Wall is special. “I live here, and I’ve been (to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial) many times,” he said. “When we started doing it with the Riders, it was a completely different feeling. There are fewer and fewer Vietnam vets every year. It’s just a feeling of camaraderie and emotion that’s very solemn.”

Jim Silveira, a member of Legion Riders Chapter 263 in Escalon, Calif., and a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, traveled more than two weeks and 2,800 miles to get to D.C. “It’s very emotional,” he said of seeing the names on the wall. “I feel like I never want to forget. I want to remember them forever.”

During a POW-MIA ceremony earlier in the day at Post 177, the Legion honored several Gold Star families in attendance. Dan McLaughlin, a Gold Star father and member of ALR Chapter 117 in Butler County, Pa., said he was touched by the Legion’s honoring of his son, Michael, who was killed in action in January 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as others killed in service to the nation.

“To know that they are not forgotten, that is the important thing,” said McLaughin, who served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1962. “Michael’s been gone 10 years, but they still remember him. It touches your heart. There’s no other way to put it. He’s being recognized again, and he’s not being forgotten. We’ve got to keep his memory alive as long as we possibly can.”

Also attending was Linda Lamie of Homerville, Ga. Her son, Gene, was killed in action in July 2007 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Another son, John, has been medically retired after being injured in Iraq in 2008. Lamie connected with Post 177 member Bob Sussan on Facebook a few years ago and has been coming to Rolling Thunder with the Legion Riders ever since.

“Gene is buried at Arlington, and we live in South Georgia.” Linda said. “We get to come see him twice a year. Coming to Arlington and participating with The American Legion keeps Gene’s memory alive. I tell everybody that dying for your country is not the worst thing that can happen. Being forgotten by the country that you died for is the worst thing that can happen.

“Gene had two children. As long as the Legion Riders continue, my grandchildren will know their father.”

Sussan, chairman of The American Legion Riders Advisory Committee, said that while the nation honors its fallen military on Memorial Day, “Every day is Memorial Day for our Gold Star families. We need to be there for them. Not just as member of The American Legion family, but as American citizens.

“Nobody can replace those fallen heroes – especially in the eyes of their families. But we can offer shoulders to cry on, assistance with education benefits, and assurances that their loved ones’ sacrifice will never be forgotten.”