SEA ISLE CITY – In observance of National Vietnam War Veterans Day March 29, residents and visitors in Sea Isle City paused for a moment of silence, at 11 a.m., at which time the city’s noon fire sirens sounded one hour earlier than usual, and a hush fell on households and businesses across the resort.
According to a release, a moment before 11 a.m., a small group of people gathered at Veterans Park, on Landis Avenue. Among them were Vietnam War veterans Charles Haines and Joe McLenaghan, of VFW Post 1963, Mayor Leonard Desiderio, City Councilmen JB Feeley, Jack Gibson and William Kehner, and Sea Isle City Police Chief Thomas McQuillen – as well as several onlookers.
As the group stood silently in front of the park’s memorial fountain, which is etched with lettering to commemorate the Vietnam War, a brisk springtime wind kept all of the park’s flags unfurled.
“We are doing this to show respect for all Vietnam veterans who served our nation and often have been overlooked,” stated Desiderio. “Many veterans who served in the Vietnam War were not properly recognized – or worse, were treated with disrespect – when they came home from serving in Southeast Asia.”
“It’s nice to be appreciated, especially after we endured what we had to endure, and it’s very nice that people are thinking of us,” stated Haines, VFW Post 1962 commander, who served in the U.S. Navy as a “River Rat” during the Vietnam War.
For more information about Sea Isle City, visit www.seaislecitynj.us. To learn more about VFW Post 1963, visit www.vfwpost1963.com.
