CAMDEN — On March 29, 1973, the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam as Hanoi freed the remaining American prisoners of war held in North Vietnam. 

 In 2012, President Obama signed a presidential proclamation, designating March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day. The signing of the proclamation marked the 50th anniversary of the departure of the last American troops from Vietnam.
 
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law by President Trump, designating every March 29, as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

Jeff Sukeforth is the Adjutant at Post 30 in Camden. He explained that there was never a day to honor the country’s Vietnam Veterans and that changed in 2017. 

“Today is our day to honor our veterans from Vietnam,” he said. “It’s our day to gather and remember those who served and those who never came back serving their country. Today we read the names of those who were killed in action in both Knox and Waldo counties.” (List at bottom of page).

American Legion posts throughout the United States and around the world took this day to honor those who served in that war's 20-year period. 

A color guard was present, prayers for the fallen and those who returned were said, taps were played, and a wreath was placed at the war memorial on Camden’s Village Green March 29. A small crowd of veterans and the public attended the ceremony to honor and remember every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, and coastguardsman who served faithfully and heroically in Vietnam.

Ever since its founding this National Day has continued to honor those who fought, those who returned, and those who paid the ultimate price in service to their country.

“We are very lucky here at Post 30 and we come together for things like this,” said Sukeforth. “Whether it’s a remembrance service like this or the one we do on Memorial Day or Veterans Day. If a veteran comes to us and needs help in any way we do what we can. Sometimes it’s a little bit of monetary help, or they need a ride over to Togus or a doctor’s appointment, all I have to do is put an email out to the folks and I’ll have an answer in 10 minutes.”

The post conducts a “coffee and chat” on the first and third Monday of every month. 

“It starts at 9 a.m. and obviously you do not need to be a legion member,” said Sukeforth. “Sometimes it’s just about getting together with people with the same type of background. And it helps them. And I say that because we are down on a national average to 17 veterans committing suicide from 21. Sometimes that’s all it takes is for someone to come in and open up a little bit.”

“We’ve had events where we had a table set up,” said Sukeforth. “We had more than one veteran and it wasn’t just Vietnam, but older, World War II veterans who say to us that this was the first time that they actually spoke to someone about what they went through.”

Sukeforth said it doesn’t stop there, but they hand out information to people who want to get help. Veterans rely on each other to get by, he said. 

“In WWI, WWII we knew it as shell shock, but now we know it as PTSD,” he said. “All we can do is try to get them to open up a little bit about it and that’s a start.”

Post 30 is unique in that it includes members from Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville, Hope, and Appleton.

The post is self-sustaining with support from its members who Sukeforth said are very generous with financial help when a need arises. There is a bin located at the 91 Pearl Street address where people can donate their returnables to the post. Sukeforth said that has been a big help with finances and the post hosts a pancake breakfast twice a month for a nominal price that has met with good success. 

“No one will go away hungry,” said Sukeforth, “that I can guarantee.”

The Medal of Honor was awarded 258 times. Three veterans from Maine received the highest military honor for their sacrifice.

There are 341 souls from Maine who died for their country. In honor of them all, here are the names of those men from Knox and Waldo counties who made the ultimate sacrifice.