Harckham Commemorates National Vietnam War Veterans Day at State Capitol

Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham commemorated National Vietnam War Veterans Day at the State Capitol yesterday by introducing a resolution to the full Senate and welcoming a contingent of 20 local Vietnam War veterans in attendance from the 40th Senate District and other Hudson Valley communities.

In entering his resolution, Harckham noted that the State of New York “wishes to show its Vietnam veterans the respect and appreciation they deserve but did not always get when they returned home.”

National Vietnam War Veterans Day is commemorated each year on March 29. To see a video of Harckham introducing the Vietnam War Veterans Day resolution in the State Senate, click here.

In his remarks, Harckham noted that more than three million Americans served their country in the Vietnam War, and over 58,000 sacrificed their lives. Today, the names of those 58,318 lives lost are forever engraved in the black granite panels of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“Today we pay homage to the brave men and women who served in the Vietnam War, knowing full well that they served with tremendous courage and sacrifice,” said Harckham. “Unfortunately, our nation did not display those sentiments when these war veterans came home; they were treated with scorn and disrespect.”

Continued Harckham, “Undeterred, many of our Vietnam veterans returned home and spent years serving and taking care of each other and serving our communities as well. They vowed that succeeding generations of American warriors would return home and be treated like heroes—a welcome they did not always receive. And they fought for healthcare, housing, and PTSD treatment. They have been an inspiration to all of us, and their good deeds and efforts continue to inspire us every day.

“Today, the best way we can honor veterans of the Vietnam War who reside in New York—and all veterans statewide—is to acknowledge that our service to them must be never ending.” 

Senator Harckham provided transportation for the veterans to travel from the Hudson Valley to Albany, where they were welcomed at the State Capitol by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Later, a lunch was held in their honor in the Legislative Office Building.

The Vietnam War veterans who traveled to Albany as guests of Harckham were”

• Art Hanley and Harry Sherblom from Brewster
• Liam Baker from Carmel
• Robert Anderson and William Tuttle from Croton-on-Hudson
• James Martin and William Goodenough from Cortlandt Manor
• Eugene Cascioli from Mahopac
• Lu Caldera and Michael O’Connor from Ossining
• Chester Edwards from Port Chester
• Ronald McConnachie from Shrub Oak
• Joseph Manna, Gerald Whitmore and Roy Ettere from Somers
• Robert Joyce from Tappan
• Marcus Arroyo from Tomkins Cove
• Anthony Ambrogio and Patrick Bennett from Yorktown Heights

William Tuttle, an Army Sergeant and Gunner who served in the Vietnam War from 1969-1971 and today is the Commander of the Croton American Legion, said, “It’s my second time traveling to Albany, and it a great thing that Senator Harckham and his colleagues put on for the veterans. I look forward to it every year and I appreciate all the work the Senator and his staff do to make this possible and make it such an enjoyable experience for us. I hope to keep doing this every year.”

 Roy Ettere, an Army Specialist 4th class who enlisted in 1969 and served in the Vietnam War from January 1970 to March 1971, said, “It’s nice that they would honor Vietnam veterans. Even though this honor was not extended to us at the time, it is greatly appreciated today. Having this come from the state rather than some organization focusing on veterans makes it even more substantial of a gesture. I’m sorry for the veterans that couldn’t see this day of progress.” 

Marcus Arroyo, a Navy SEAL and Purple Heart recipient who served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970, said, “I extend my appreciation to Senator Harckham for this invitation and the resolution from the State Senate. The words spoken by Senator Harckham and the other senators were very meaningful to me and the other veterans. We were not welcomed back in the right way when we first came back. For many of us there was trauma in reentering the world, with many of us feeling discarded and having to pick up the pieces, so this is very meaningful to be honored the right way. We will remember this and talk about it with each other and our families.”

Art Hanley, an Army Specialist 4th class who served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1972 and today is a member of the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame, said, “We truly appreciate the sentiments expressed here. Senator Harckham is always a great host. The best part of the day is spending it with my fellow veterans. I only knew two of them before today and I left friends with all of them.”