Mr. Governor, of the six Vietnam War Commemorations planned, which includes the one held at the capitol on March 29 of this year, NONE are planned in central, rural Utah while four are planned on the urban Wasatch front and two in urban, Southern Utah. Once again the powers to be in the capitol have forgotten that there is life, and in this case Vietnam Veterans, between Spanish Fork and Cedar City!
Mr. Governor are the sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans and their spouses any less worthy of recognition in dedicated recognition ceremonies than those living on the Wasatch Front, Cedar City and St. George?
Why is it that when I wrote complaining about this slight to your office and the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs the response I received was that “. . . we are planning additional events specifically in Utah rural communities that will recognize many more veterans from several eras . . .”? While all veterans and their spouses of all eras are deserving of their sacrifices being commemorated, are Vietnam Veterans in rural Utah not worthy of a commemorative ceremony dedicated specifically to Vietnam Veterans the same as Vietnam Veterans on the Wasatch Front and Southern Utah afforded rather than being lumped together with “veterans of several eras”?
Mr. Governor while WWII veterans are known as “the greatest generation” and Korean War Veterans are known as the “forgotten generation”, Vietnam Veterans are “the betrayed generation”; betrayed by our government in a political war in which they were not permitted to be victorious, by our country when they returned from war and were spat upon and now, for Vietnam Veterans living in rural, central Utah, being slighted by our state leadership by not being afforded the same consideration and respect afforded Vietnam Veterans in the Northern and Southern urban areas of our state.
Mr. Governor, as a Vietnam Veteran I appreciate, after the service and sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans and their spouses being all but ignored for 50 years, the intent of these commemorations. However, I appeal to you that you give the same consideration to those Vietnam Veterans in rural, central Utah as you have shown to those in urban areas by holding a 7th Vietnam War Commemoration ceremony in rural, central Utah not, as indicated in the response I received at some time in the distant future, when ” . . . something else is already naturally happening in the community – parade, fair, celebration, etc. . . .” but in the same time horizon as the other six.
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