Left: 1966. South Vietnam. Good news from home does a lot to boost the morale of a serviceman stationed in Vietnam. Captain John H. Orozco, of Tucson, Arizona, waves his hat when the Red Cross notifies him of the birth of a new son. Red Cross assistant field director Morris J. Atkinson, an Oklahoman from Spencer, delivers the message. Right: December 1970. Firebase Tomahawk, Vietnam. Grunts just in from the field open Red Cross ditty bags on Christmas morning. This lonely outpost is located in northern South Vietnam about 30 miles northwest of DaNang.
Story told by Red Cross Volunteer, Amy Thomas
March 29, 2022, is Vietnam Veterans Day. Established in 2017 under Title 4 of the United States Code §6, it commemorates the day the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam and the day most acknowledged Prisoners of War (POW) were released by Hanoi, Vietnam.
For Al Agnew, a longtime American Red Cross volunteer and current board member in the Eastern Chapter of South Carolina, this date sparks several memories. From being the last POW released to the camaraderie and bravery of fellow POWs, and his time in the Navy before and after the Vietnam War.
After enlisting in the Navy in 1961, Agnew focused on serving his nation and building a community within his squadrons. A mindset he held on to after he was shot down during a reconnaissance mission over Hanoi, Vietnam, on December 28, 1972. Though he ejected himself from his aircraft, he was captured and held until March 29th, 1973. During that time, he found a community among fellow POWs who relied on one another to survive their captivity and heal along the way.
"After the Son Tay Raid of 1970, they started bringing people into Hanoi, and instead of being in solitary or two-men ceils for four or five years, they were grouped in these rooms with 20 or 30 people… Whatever hang-ups we had were worked out before we came home [we talked about everything]."
He received a Red Cross package containing toiletries, personal items, some hard candy, and a couple of books during his imprisonment. While Al had known that his aunt was with the Red Cross during World War II, he had no first-hand experience with the Red Cross until he received that Red Cross package.
"It was great. The packages were well thought out," said Agnew. "When you had been living on water and cabbage soup, it was a treat."
While he and fellow POWs released on March 29, 1973, experienced a more honorable reception than most Vietnam Veterans had endured, they still were subjected to the ever-changing public opinion on their service during the Vietnam War. Public opinion could feel like whiplash; few veterans were sure of how their service during Vietnam would be received at their homecoming.
"They [the American public] just seemed relieved that we came back sane… that we were just good American boys coming home."
However, Agnew doesn't want us to focus on the war itself or the varying public opinion over the decades. Instead, he asks that we focus on the individuals—those who served their nation and sacrificed for our continued freedoms.
"Say thank you like you mean it. These guys and girls went through a lot," Al expressed his desire for how we might commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day. "The thing you have to remember is that young men and women went there and did their jobs and came home."
The Red Cross helps members of the military, veterans, and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to the challenges of military service. For more than 140 years, the Red Cross has served the military and deployed alongside the military in every U.S. conflict since the Spanish-American War. The American Red Cross provides 24/7 global emergency communication services and other support in military and veteran health care facilities across the country and around the world. Learn how to get involved as a volunteer with American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces here.