By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Cadets from Air Force ROTC Detachment 003 at the University of Houston were honored to be called upon for their services in the Posting of Colors at the final evening of a reunion for Air Force Vietnam War Veterans held in Galveston.
Beyond being connected by their service to our nation during the Vietnam War, the veterans had another common bond. Each one of them had either supported as service crew or flown an A-37 Dragonfly during that war.
The group of veterans has been gathering in locations around the nation for a multiday reunion since 1992 to honor their joint histories and to commemorate an airplane that was designed specifically for the Air Force during the Vietnam War.
Former Air Force Sargent Joseph P. Acri from Pennsylvania had the task of loading ammunition onto A-37s. At the three-day reunion Arci was given a chance to be flown in a version of the A-37.
Joe’s memory of Vietnam is as clear to him today as it was 50 years ago, and his advice to all his fellow Vietnam veterans is to tell their stories while they still can.
Looking around the room that evening, he and his comrades were seeing fewer and fewer familiar faces. This year might be the last of their formal reunions.
