Berkshire Vietnam Veterans Receive Long-Awaited Welcome Home
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hundreds gathered at the fence of Pittsfield Municipal Airport to give Berkshire County Vietnam veterans the warm welcome home they did not receive nearly 60 years ago.
As the sun rose high over the Berkshire Mountains, nearly a dozen veterans hopped on a small chartered jet to Washington, D.C., where they were able to visit their fallen comrades at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
The daylong trip, organized by William "Smitty" Pignatelli, former state representative, marked the first Honor Flight for veterans departing from Pittsfield Municipal Airport.
"It was very emotional because we have friends on the wall that we had a chance to go back and do a little bit more closure," Air Force veteran Lenwood "Woody" Vaspra said.
As the veterans returned home after the "emotional trip" they were greeted with patriotic tunes performed by Lenox High School Band, and a wave of community members, including some family members, clapping and screaming out their names. For some, the sight brought tears to their eyes.
The evening ended with a moment of unity as Laurie Schiff performed "God Bless America" a cappella. Community members joined hands and added their voices to hers, bringing the homecoming ceremony to a close.
The day was filled with several phases of surprises, Pignatelli said, from being greeted by Congressman Richard Neal at the memorial wall to being gifted tribute bags at the welcome home ceremony.
"In honor of each of these gentlemen, a U.S. flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol in their honor," Pignatelli said.
Each of the tribute bags contained a personal letter from U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, citations from Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, letters from state Sen. Paul Mark and family members, and an autographed copy of "In the Valley of the Shadow" by Stephen Manchester.
"And we have framed autograph prints from an incredible artist called Brian Fox from Fall River," Pignatelli said.
"He has devoted the last several years of his life learning about the Vietnam stories and depicting through amazing artwork what these Vietnam veterans are really all about."
When Marine Corps veteran Bob Waldheim of Dalton stepped off the plane Tuesday evening, he was not expecting to see hundreds of people, waving American flags, cheering and calling out their appreciation for him and his fellow veterans.
When the veterans returned home from the war, many encountered a cold homecoming, recalling rocks and eggs being thrown at them and being met with insults and other hostile remarks, Pignatelli said.
Even after returning home, the hostility did not end. Waldheim recalled handing out poppies in Lenox when someone called him a "baby killer."
"I burst into tears, and I got in my car and drove home," he said.
The reception he experienced during the Honor Flight and homecoming ceremony could not have been more different.
"I can't tell you how emotional this experience has been," he said. "Three things that stand out for me today: number one, this trip; number two, my daughters were there to greet me, and my granddaughter skipped school today to be there. And number three, Smitty, who put this whole thing together."
After returning from the battlefield decades ago, many veterans faced a different kind of struggle at home, carrying the emotional toll of the hostility they encountered in their community, as well as lasting health effects associated with exposure to Agent Orange, Pignatelli said
"I think the fact that these guys internalize so much because of their experience, not only over there but how they were treated when they got home. I think we've broken through that wall a little bit where they will start sharing their experiences a little bit more," he said.
"I think it's a good way to educate and inform the next generation. I learned so much from my father as a World War II veteran, but my father's gone now. Once these guys are gone, if they don't share their stories, the stories go with them."
The main focus of this trip was to not only give these veterans the welcome they deserve but to open the floodgates to stories that, for decades, had gone untold and ensure they are carried forward by the next generation, he said.
"I saw it starting to happen here. It was really pretty amazing," Pignatelli said.
Veterans Honored:
Dennis O'Brien of Stockbridge
John Harding of Pittsfield
Wayne Walton of Hinsdale
Richard Udden of Lenox
Alan Romeo of Sheffield
Hank Morris of Pittsfield
John Davidson of Lee
Woody Vaspra of Cheshire
Bob Waldheim of Dalton
Skip Hoskeer of Pittsfield
Charles Thompson of Lenox
Tags: veterans, Vietnam,
