ST. MARYS — While the St. Marys Area School District celebrated all veterans during their Veterans Day assembly on Friday, special attention was paid to the region’s Vietnam War veterans.
“Our Vietnam veterans answered our country’s call and served with great honor and great distinction,” said Joe Schlimm, St. Marys Area High School principal. “Our nation stands stronger for their service.”
Schlimm said that over 3 million men and women served in the Vietnam War, but many of them came back to the country wounded and suffering from the effects of things such as Agent Orange and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Additionally, he said that many of the veterans of the Vietnam War were not welcomed back into the country by the people that they had served.
“Yet in one of the war’s most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home only to be shunned or neglected,” Schlimm said. “Today we reaffirm one of our most fundamental obligations; to show all who have worn the uniform of the United States the respect and dignity they deserve and to honor their sacrifice by serving them as well as they have served us.”
To show appreciation to each of the Vietnam War veterans in attendance at Friday’s assembly, students of the high school presented each veteran with a medal made by the district’s metalworking students.
Schlimm said that these men are patriots who served their country with honor and bravery and the war was fought by men and women from different backgrounds, colors and creeds.
While many of the region’s Vietnam War veterans were able to be at Friday’s assembly, several district alumni were not able to.
Over 58,000 U.S. soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice and died in service to their country in the Vietnam War.
These soldiers will forever have their name etched into the Vietnam Wall, which Schlimm called a “lasting memorial to those that made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Of those 58,000 soldiers, two came from the St. Marys Area School District.
Jerry Sain, a graduate of the district’s class of 1966, was killed in Vietnam in 1970 alongside 12 other soldiers.
According to Schlimm, Sain grew up in a large family on Benedict Street and was a good athlete growing up.
After leaving for college, Sain was drafted.
According to Schlimm, Sain did not complain about being drafted and felt that he was doing what he was called to do by joining the army.
The other St. Marys Area School District student to be killed in the Vietnam War was John Parapacic.
Parapacic grew up on Filmore Road before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps.
He served in the Vietnam War until April 21, 1967 when he was killed alongside seven other Marines.
Schlimm said that he was able to contact Parapacic’s rifle platoon leader, Richard Anderson, who called Parapacic a no-nonsense soldier who was well liked and determined.
Anderson, who spent four months with Parapacic, said that he wished he had an entire platoon of soldiers like him.
Both Parapacic and Sain are buried in St. Marys.
During Friday’s ceremony, family members of both men were invited to the district to allow students and district officials to thank the families of these veterans that made the ultimate sacrifice.
Each family member was presented with a commemorative medal from the students.
