Noteworthy

'It means the world to me': Families, vets gather to honor Vietnam vets in Fayetteville

The service, held at the Service Source campus, honored veterans of the Vietnam War.

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By
Gilbert Baez
, WRAL Fayetteville reporter
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Veterans of the Vietnam War were honored Wednesday at the Service Source campus in Fayetteville.

A small crowd gathered on the remember and honor some of the 58,000 service members who served in Vietnam. One-by-one, family members hung dog tags on a Tree of Honor.

41 dog tags from Vietnam veterans were added to the tree, 21 of those veterans were in attendance.

Army veteran's dogtag

Some missing in action, others paying the ultimate sacrifice, like SFC and Silver Star-recipient David Boyd.

"He was the first one kiled on the air boat in the Mekong Delta in special forces," said Boyd's widow, Barbara. "He got killed 10 days before coming home."

Cyntha Hall, who's father, Robert Anspach, was killed in action September 11, 1968, said the day was already a special day for her before 2001. Anspach's body was never recovered.

Firing squad at Vietnam Veteran Memorial

For Hall, today was about giving these veterans their recognition.

"It just means the world to me when people give the veterans the recognition they never had," Hall said.

.Andrew Carmichael had two brothers who served in Vietnam. Clifford Carmichael died a few years ago of cancer. Sonny Carmichael, plagued by the horrors of war, suffered from PTSD and lived homeless on the street.
Sonny was found dead May 9, 2022 outside a vacant bank on Ray Avenue, which is where he would seek shelter while living on the street.

"Sadly, unfortunately, he was murdered back in 2022," Andrew explained. "So, since then, we've been trying to keep his memory alive."

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