A Roundtable With a Purpose: Five Vietnam Veterans, Five Different Jobs, One Shared Truth—The War Followed Them Home

STAFF REPORTS

On November 25, 2023, Vietnam War veterans from the South Metro Denver Chapter 1106, who represented the five service branches, took part in a panel discussion about their wartime experiences.

The event was sponsored by the Retired Employees of the Cherry Creek Schools, a group that supports the Cherry Creek School District in western Arapahoe County, Colorado. In 2023, RECCS organized a program focusing on Vietnam War veterans in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam.

Five Chapter 1106 members served as panelists: Dave Lyons (Navy), Garry Turks (Marine Corps), Jack Hunter (Coast Guard), Walt Leuci (Air Force), and Rick Claggett (Army). The discussion was moderated by Denver television journalist Tom Mustin. The men told stories that are not often heard, some of them very different than what people might have expected.

Lyons told the audience he served as a cook aboard the hospital ship U.S.S. Sanctuary stationed in the South China sea off the coast of South Vietnam. He spoke about the surge of wounded during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and the strain it put on a ship designed for fewer patients. Lyons remembered bringing box lunches to the operating room and being asked what his blood type was before being pressed into donating his blood.

He also recalled the terrible wounds he saw, a sight that never left him. Lyons continues to speak publicly about these traumatic events, however, including at schools. When a student once asked whether he was proud to have served, Lyons had a simple answer: Yes.

Garry Turks said he entered the service hoping to become a corpsman but was steered into mortuary work after the military learned his father was a mortician. Turks served in Vietnam from 1966–69 and described traveling widely to recover and process the dead so families could bury their loved ones back home with dignity.

He said he was wounded late in his tour and received the Purple Heart. Today, Turks serves as chapter chaplain and shared the story of a remarkable reunion that illustrated the strong bonds between those who served. During a conversation about the war at a chapter meeting, he discovered that another member, now a nurse, had cared for him during his recovery decades earlier.

Walt Leuci/Chapter 195

Hunter told the room that even many Vietnam War veterans do not realize the U.S. Coast Guard took part in the war. Beginning in 1965, Coast Guard cutters and their crews deployed to Vietnam to help patrol coastal waters and disrupt enemy resupply routes.

Hunter said his ship, the U.S.C.G.C. Minnetonka, took part in those types of missions. He decided to take part in the roundtable, he said, to honor those who were wounded or killed and to recognize the veterans who may not always be recognized widely.

Leuci described serving in 1965 as an aircraft mechanic working on F-105 Thunderchiefs in Thailand. He said he met many of the pilots who flew the aircraft and constantly hoped that every jet would return safely. For years, he said, he did not talk much about the war. Later in life, memories returned with force, along with deep feelings for people he met and those who did not make it home.

Claggett told the audience he was drafted four days after he got married. In Vietnam, he became a dog handler assigned to a scout dog, typically a German Shepherd trained to detect ambushes, enemy fighters, and booby traps. Claggett credited his dog, Big Boy, with protecting the men behind them.

He also spoke about the truth many handlers carry: when their service ended many dogs were classified as surplus military equipment and euthanized in-country. Claggett said he lives with the memory of watching his dog crated and sent away. That is one reason he continues to speak, he said, to honor the dogs and the handlers who depended on them.

Panelists were asked what it was like returning to the United States at a time when the war divided the country. Several described painful homecomings and said they were insulted, told to hide their service, or advised not to wear their uniforms in public. For years, many kept quiet about their service in the war. Hunter noted that Coast Guard members sometimes had a different experience because many civilians did not even realize they served in Vietnam.

The panelists said they are happy that today’s veterans often receive the respect many Vietnam War veterans did not. At the same time, they noted the long tail of war, including trauma and illnesses that can surface years later. For many that has included PTSD and health problems tied to Agent Orange exposure.

The discussion ended where it began: with service. Each panelist expressed pride in having worn the uniform and a commitment to honor those who did not come home, including their four-legged partners.

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