Saturday March 29, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It marks the end of the war, and at Wichita East High, it will be a day to honor twelve classmates who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
A ceremony, open to the public is planned to unveil a plaque with the names of twelve East High classmates who served in Vietnam.
Roger Lyon, an East High member of the class of 1969, spearheaded the effort. "Sadly, every generation had a war, and for us, that war was Vietnam," Lyon said.
He says he felt an obligation to honor his fallen classmates and set out to create a simple memorial plaque, that will soon be seen by a new generation of East High students.
Lyon says he wanted it to be kept simple, and included an inscription taken from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. "When I contacted the foundry, I told them that I wanted this plaque to look like it would have been designed fifty years ago," said Lyon.
The inscription reads, "That from these honored dead we take increased devotion."
Of the twelve being honored, ten of them enlisted, only two had been drafted. Lyon says he's hopeful the plaque will give a new generation of students a jumping off point to discuss an ignored part of our history from the standpoint of former students who walked in and played in the same halls and gyms as they do today.
The dedication ceremony begins at 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon at East High, Douglas and Grove in Wichita. A number of family members of the soldiers have also been invited and are expected to be in attendance.