Dinner served as way to thank Vietnam vets

FOLLANSBEE -- Those old enough to remember the end of World War II probably recall the well-deserved celebrations encountered by the servicemen returning after fighting in Europe, the South Pacific and other points abroad.

But such revelry was something missed by many of the more than 8.7 million veterans of the Vietnam War, who suffered from mixed public opinion about the conflict.

The Follansbee Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday became one of many local groups throughout the U.S. helping the U.S. Department of Defense to, in some small way, deliver long overdue thanks to those veterans.

Chamber President Tony Paesano noted there are many stories of the veterans being heckled or encouraged to change from their uniforms into street clothes as they flew home.

"If you look at all of the adversity they experienced when they got back -- what we're trying to do is make it right," he said between greeting about 70 veterans who turned out for a spaghetti dinner held in their honor at Vito's 2.

The chamber and restaurant teamed for the event after learning the Department of Defense was seeking local groups to aid it in distributing lapel pins of appreciation to the Vietnam veterans in acknowledgment of the war's 50th anniversary.

On one side of the pin are the words "Vietnam War Veteran" and an image of an American bald eagle before elements of the U.S. flag, including six stars representing the six nations that fought in the war. On the other side is the statement, "A Grateful Nation Thanks and Honors You."

The effort was spurred by the National Defense Authorization Act approved by Congress in 2008.

Jay Teacoach, president of the Jefferson County chapter of the Vietnam Veterans Support Group and guest speaker for the dinner, said the most important thing is the veterans are receiving thanks from their communities.

"It's your neighbors, your family and your friends saying 'thank you,'" he said.

Teacoach served in the Army's 199th Light Infantry Brigade from March 1969 to March 1970.

He said following his discharge he spent about 20 years coming to terms with his experience there and the next 30 to 40 aiding others in doing the same.

As a counselor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Weirton and Wheeling, Teacoach said his job was "to learn what happened to Vietnam veterans and help them understand their experience and that their response was normal."

He said post-traumatic stress disorder isn't a new phenomenon, though the term is relatively new.

"In the past it was called shell shock or combat neurosis," Teacoach said.

He said one thing all Vietnam veterans have in common is they depended on each other for survival, and that formed a lasting bond among them.

"We depended on each other then and we're still looking out for each other today," Teacoach said

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)