Vietnam Remembrance to Draw Veterans to Festival
Veterans in the crowd last year stood as their name was called to be honored for serving in our country’s military. This year, the Fort Armstrong Folk Festival will conduct a special ceremony on Saturday, August 6 at 4:45 PM on the main stage to commemorate 50 years since the Vietnam War.
by Jonathan Weaver
It’s been 50 years since more than three dozen local men that fought in Vietnam during the Vietnam War were killed.
Armstrong County and festival-goers to the 45th annual Fort Armstrong Folk Festival will have a way to honor those men this Saturday afternoon through a special service.
Starting at 4:45AM next Saturday on the Main Stage, retired U.S. Army Colonel Jack Bennett will lead the second-annual 50th Year Remembrance program.
Last year, two local veterans – U.S. Navy Petty Officer “JB” Boarts of Manorville and U.S. Army’s Ray Tarr of Kittanning – recapped their service.
Boarts, 68, dedicated his speech to more than 130 of his shipmates that died July 29, 1967 off the coast of North Vietnam.
“A day that will never escape me,” Boarts said. “To me it’s so fresh in my mind. It’s like it happened yesterday. I lost everything I had that day except for the clothing that I was wearing.”
A total of nearly 58,500 Americans died in Vietnam, and another 153,000 were wounded during the fight.
According to the Armstrong County Veterans Affairs office, three dozen Armstrong County men and women died between 1967 and 1975 during the Vietnam War: 22 Killed in Action, one soldier died of wounds, two were missing in action and 13 died due to non-battle injuries.
That list includes U.S. Army, Navy and Marines from about a dozen communities, including Kittanning, Ford City and Templeton.
After the two veterans, they and a trio of others were honored for their valor with handmade quilts by a non-profit group.
Catherine Roberts founded the Quilts of Valor Foundation in 2013 after seeing a quilt heal an emotional soldier.
According to the organization’s website, Roberts expects a Quilt of Valor to be “quality made” and “awarded” in a way of saying ‘Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor.’
The first Quilt of Valor was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to a young soldier from Minnesota who had lost his leg in Iraq
Catherine Roberts recalls that in the early days of the national non-profit, the primary focus was on awarding quilts to service members wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
The philosophy of inclusion widened when Catherine became aware of the work that goes on at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations (AFMAO), located at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
The two Vietnam War speakers as well as Jim Scahill received quilts for their service, and John Huffand received one for his valor in WWIIa and Lee Retig received one for his valor in Korea.
The final speaker – Bonnie Wade - Jack met in Blufton, South Carolina during her non-profit organization “Dear Vietnam Vet” that allows Vietnam veterans, like her late-father, to be appreciated.
Wade is unable to attend this year, but said she enjoyed spending the weekend in Kittanning last year and encourages all interested to visit her organization’s website if they are interested
A Request for Information from Armstrong County Vietnam veterans or those who are visiting the folk festival is available at Ford City VFW, the Armstrong County Tourist Bureau in Kittanning, the Armstrong County Veterans Affairs office or the festival’s information booth next weekend.
Local News | jweaver July 30, 2016
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