Reva Stillion said it was an honor Saturday to see the name of her brother, Harold Golden, on the new Vietnam Veterans memorial in The Villages — especially since the D.C. memorial spells his name wrong.
“It has been spelled wrong for so long, so it was an honor to see it up there spelled correctly,” said Stillion, of Belleview. “I also get to experience this with my grandchildren. It’s nice they get to understand (the importance of his sacrifice).”
The memorial was unveiled Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park of The Villages during a ceremony hosted by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1036 in The Villages. The ceremony brought a crowd of nearly 100 people to the park to get their first look at the new monument, which honors 58 veterans from the tri-county area who died in action during the Vietnam War.
James Hartsell, the executive director for the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs, traveled from Tampa to attend the event.
“God gave us a beautiful day today,” Hartsell said. “I grew up watching the Vietnam War. We have more Vietnam veterans living here in Florida than anywhere in the nation. I’m super patriotic and proud to be here today.”
Pete Wagner, chapter president, said the memorial will be a positive addition to the community and he hopes the attending families felt honored.
Chapter members raised more than $50,000 to design, build, and bring the monument to its new location. Tom Lynch, one of the chapter members on the VVA monument committee, worked with 11 families of veterans memorialized on the monument to coordinate what was needed.
The stories he learned while working with them now stay with him wherever he goes.
“I’m like a historian now,” Lynch said jokingly after repeating short stories about four of the memorialized veterans. “There’s hundreds of stories on this wall. Everyone of these individuals is a hero.”
Lynch was on the committee along with Johnny Byard, Doug Gardner, Jack Moran, John Thomstatter and John Kerrigan. During the program, the committee read the 58 names engraved on the monument moments before family members were invited to come get a first look.
The memorial, which was designed closely to the Vietnam War veterans memorial at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, includes photos of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. and a dedication on the front of the wall that reads: “Dedicated to Those Who Served. ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL. More than 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam, including over 2,000 Floridians. Thank you all Vietnam Veterans. Welcome Home.”
Paul Scriven, an Ocala resident, was 4 years old when he lost his brother, Samuel T Scriven.
“My brother died on May 6, 1967. He was only 18 years old and been in the service for eight months,” said Scriven, a U.S. Marines veteran. “We looked so much alike that when people see my military photo and they see his, they say ‘Paul, I didn’t know you served in two branches.’ I tell them ‘no, that’s my brother.’ It means a lot to be recognized after all these years. It’s nice how the wall honors all the fallen and they aren’t forgotten.”
John Knapp, cemetery administrator of the Florida National Cemetery, attended the event with his wife, Heather.
“What was most striking to me was how many Gold Star families attended this event. It was very moving to see the families and the monument itself is very beautiful,” Knapp said. “When they read the 58 names, that is the most important part to me, because we don’t want to forget those individuals. We read their names, rang the bell and put their names on the monument. It’s a beautiful tribute for all who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Debbie Perina, of the Village of Santo Domingo, said she was so grateful that she was asked to sing during the program because she has a lot of veteran friends who served in Vietnam.
Perina, who frequently sings at programs held at the Veterans Memorial Park of The Villages, sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.” As she sang “God Bless America,” the audience slowly and quietly sang along.
“Every event is different,” Perina said. “This one felt special. I felt it with everyone being around there was a lot of positive and supportive emotions. The weather is nice and there are so many people the came out to this. We have people in a lot of different uniforms. It is as big, if not bigger, than Memorial Day.”
“I served after Vietnam, so I know a lot of what they experienced,” said the member of the Tri-County Women Veterans Club. “It means a lot to see them being honored after 50 years.”
The monument is open for public viewing at the park, which is located off Paige Place near Spanish Springs.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
