Groton veterans gather in remembrance of Vietnam

When we think of American holidays and how they are associated with our military, Memorial Day and Veterans Day are those that immediately come to mind for most, but many may not be aware that March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day — made official by former President Donald Trump through his signing of the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017.

The day holds a special place in history because March 29, 1973, was the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam.

I was not aware of this holiday myself until it was mentioned at the Groton American Legion Carrington-Fuller Post 800 Grill Night on March 31 — leading me to connect with two members who were at the Legion that night to gain some perspective. The two followed very different military pathways, yet both are appreciative that the holiday has been established.

Legion member Gary Pataki served in the infantry as a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps in the Second Battalion Fourth Marine Division and served in Vietnam for 10 months when he was 19 years old.

First Vice Commander of Post 800 Fred Youngs Jr. served as a sergeant in the United States Air Force 526th FIS (Fighter Interceptor Squadron) from 1965 to 1969. Although Youngs did not serve in Vietnam, he was very aware when he enlisted right out of high school that heading there was a possibility.

After his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Youngs was sent to weapons school at Lowry AFB in Denver, Colorado for six months.

“When I finished weapons school, they literally put all our names in a hat,” Youngs said. “We knew they would draw a certain number to go to Alaska, Spain, Germany or somewhere else in the USA, and the rest would go to Vietnam.”

As it turned out, Youngs was sent to Ramstein AFB in Germany, where he was part of a four-man weapons crew, loading missiles and rockets onto F-102 Delta Daggers aircraft on the East Berlin border during the Cold War.

Pataki’s story was quite different from Youngs’. Fortunately, Pataki’s unit was the first group to leave Vietnam to return home in February 1970, but not before those 10 months made a lasting impact on him.

Stationed in the DMZ (demilitarized zone), Pataki carried a 60-millimeter mortar and M-60 machine gun the entire time he was there and explained the responsibility of knowing exactly how to use them.

“If a man carrying an M-60 goes down, you’ve got to know what to do to pick up his weapon and use it if you need to,” he said.

Pataki also said there were roughly 100 soldiers in his unit and that about 20 of them were killed within the first few months they were there.

“I still remember them making two copies of my dog tags to put in each of my boots before we went over there,” Pataki said. “And when I asked why, they said it was because some of the men who were killed might only be identified by a foot.”

Pataki mentioned several other things he experienced while in Vietnam, including only sleeping two hours per night, because they were all expected to stand guard over one another’s trenches in two-hour shifts.

“To this day, I only sleep two hours a night because I think in my mind that I need to be guarding holes the rest of the time,” Pataki explained. “We basically lived in the bush/jungle. I never took any leave time because I always told them that when I leave, I’m not going anywhere but home.”

Pataki also spoke about how Agent Orange, the herbicide used to eliminate jungle growth, was everywhere around them.

“The jungle was so thick you couldn’t see 20 feet in front of you,” Pataki said. “And you never knew what day it was except that we were given little white malaria pills every day, but on Sunday, it was a big orange one.”

Pataki sadly mentioned that, despite how proud he was to wear his military uniform, he and others were told by their superiors not to wear them around when they got home because of how “down on military” much of the general public was at that time.

“I still remember getting on the plane to finally come home and seeing everyone on the flight looking at me as though I were a criminal,” Pataki said.

Nonetheless, Pataki came home with a purple heart, a Vietnam gallantry cross and a plethora of other medals. All mean a great deal to him, but the national holiday on March 29 is also near and dear to his heart.

“They talked about it for years,” Pataki said. “And President Trump finally did it. It means a lot that they recognize us as veterans.”

Youngs is a member of the VVA (Vietnam Vets of America) Finger Lakes Chapter #377 in Dryden and explained that anyone who served in any branch of the military from 1959 to 1975, no matter where they served, is eligible to be a member.

“People in the service consider ourselves like brothers and sisters,” Youngs said. “So, it’s good for anyone who was a Vietnam-era veteran to join.”

Youngs spoke about the many things the VVA does, such as marching in parades, doing burial details for military funerals, building ramps for veterans in wheelchairs and more.

“We were also instrumental in restoring the Vietnam Memorial in Cortland,” Youngs said.

While Youngs did not serve in Vietnam, he spoke about his cousins and many friends who did.

“Some didn’t come back,” Youngs said. “And I think it is a great thing to recognize the 58,479 soldiers who never returned from there, and all those who served, with this holiday.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Sunday brunch at Casper’s

Casper’s Kitchen, 118 Main St., will feature its After-Church Special brunch buffet April 10 from 1 to 3 p.m., due to the third Sunday of April being Easter. Normally, every third Sunday of the month, this new offering happens at Casper’s. There will be special buffet offerings at a cost of $10 per person.

Groton Rotary awards students

The Rotary Club of Groton has chosen two Groton students, Leanna Jackson and Julia Ramey, to join 85 other students from high schools in south central New York to participate in the 37th Rotary District 7170 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) conference held at SUNY Oneonta June 26 through 29.

RYLA is aimed at developing the leadership potential of young people. The conference will feature speakers, programs and workshops focused on decision making, critical thinking, effective communication, time management, ethics, career development, public service, contemporary problems and other challenging issues.

Offerings at J’s Arrays

Upcoming vendor offerings at J’s Arrays, 211 Main St., April 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will feature Basil Boutique, Crafty Ladie, Carla Hunt crocheted items and hand-painted bottles, Elly-Lana Crafts and Tastefully Simple. The first 10 customers will receive a free pair of mystery leggings from Basil Boutique.

To reserve a space or ask questions, contact Janette at JsArrays211@gmail.com.