ROSWELL, Ga. — As someone who served in the Army, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson told a small crowd March 29 that National Vietnam Veterans Day holds a special place in his heart.
“When I was in the army, those who trained me were all Vietnam vets, and it fills my heart that this day has been set aside to pay tribute to these American heroes,” Wilson said in a ceremony at the Faces of War Memorial behind City Hall.
He said that in 1980 Vietnam vets would routinely tell him and others that they were not going to lose another war, describing the burden associated with the statement.
“These young men that were training us took the ownership and responsibility and the burden of losing an American war, and the reality was, nothing could have been farther from the truth,” Wilson said.
He described the sacrifices Vietnam War veterans made, being drafted to unfamiliar, dangerous territory only to return home to a divided country, facing criticism and ridicule.
“As the mayor of Roswell, I stand here today before you not just as a public servant, but as an American citizen and a veteran who was humbled by the sacrifices made by our Vietnam veterans — your service, your courage, your commitment to our nation has not gone unnoticed, nor has it been forgotten,” Wilson said.
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