Vietnam War veterans will be recognized for their service in more ways than one at the Whidbey Island Fair this year.
The Whidbey Veterans Resource Center, located in Langley, plans to have an informational booth set up in the Turner building. A couple of times each day, staff from the nonprofit organization will take to the midway stage between acts to make an announcement thanking Vietnam veterans for their service and asking if anyone in the audience wishes to be recognized. Those who do will be presented with a lapel pin.
“Vietnam Era veterans, because of the treatment that they received in the beginning, are a little bit shy about being recognized,” said Deirdre Sherman, an intern for the Whidbey Veterans Resource Center. “So we’re trying to keep it relatively low key.”
It’s all part of a larger effort to acknowledge the sacrifices Vietnam veterans made as the 50th anniversary of the war’s end approaches.
The small bronze lapel pins are provided by the Department of Defense and are given to veterans who served during the period from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975.
Roughly 3,500 Vietnam veterans reside in Island County, according to Sherman. The commendation extends to those in the armed forces who may not have been stationed where the fighting took place.
“For a lot of people it didn’t matter if they were serving in Vietnam or not,” Sherman said. “If they were wearing a uniform, they didn’t get treated very well.”
The Whidbey Island Fair runs July 25-28. Sherman encouraged veterans to stop by the resource center’s booth to learn more about the nonprofit, which provides transportation to VA hospitals, access to benefits and counseling services.
Besides the fair, there are additional upcoming events where Vietnam veterans can receive recognition.
Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon and state Rep. Clyde Shavers, who are both veterans, will hand out lapel pins to veterans at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2 at the Camano Library.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen will hand out pins at a commemoration event at 2-3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8 in the Coupeville High School auditorium.
