A grateful nation thanks and honors local veterans
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Ken Maglietta of Claysville holds the pin he received during a ceremony sponsored by United Healthcare’s Community Plan of Pennsylvania at Washington Crown Center Friday.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Ken Maglietta of Claysville receives a pin during a ceremony held by United Healthcare’s Community Plan of Pennsylvania at Washington Crown Center Friday.
As Independence Day approached, veterans were honored Friday at Washington Crown Center in a ceremony thanking them for their service during the Vietnam War.
A lapel pin may be a small token of appreciation, but Edward Cianelli, 77, of Marianna, a member of the honor guard of American Legion Post 744, plans to wear it proudly.
“I’ll put it on my Legion hat,” he said.
He served from 1964 to 1966 and was sent to Korea.
The pinning ceremony is part of an ongoing national effort to honor all Vietnam-era veteran military service members who were on active duty between November 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975, regardless of where they served.
Cianelli, who was a 22-year-old laboring at the U.S. Steel Fairless Works near Philadelphia when he was drafted, said, “There should be some kind of service (requirement) whether it be voluntary or not.
“I knew it was coming. It was just a matter of time. I had to go.”
By law, men living in the United States who were born after Dec. 31, 1959, are required to register with Selective Service even though there is no longer a draft.
According to the Selective Service website, failing to register for a possible draft means not qualifying for federal student loans or grants, such as Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Direct Stafford Loans/Plus Loans, National Direct Student Loans, and college work study.
A man must be registered to be eligible for jobs in the executive branch of the federal government and the U.S. Postal Service.
Security clearance background investigations will verify whether or not men are in compliance with federal law. This also applies to some contractors.
Jerry Ault and his twin brother, Gene, both of Washington, were drafted together and served in Nuremberg in what was then West Germany. They received certificates from U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler.
“They probably should still draft,” Jerry Ault said. “Some of these young ones need to be in there to straighten them out.”
He said he’s not in favor of women being drafted.
“Nothing against them,” he said.
The ceremony at the mall, part of a health and resource expo, was one of many conducted under the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act directing the secretary of defense to thank veterans of the Vietnam War, including those who were held as prisoners of war, or listed as missing in action, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States.
The program also paid tribute to the families of these veterans who made contributions on the homefront during the Vietnam War.
“I think of all the troubles we had throughout the Vietnam era and how little recognition there was for Vietnam veterans and their families, because they are certainly affected heavily,” said Ken Maglietta of Washington, a recipient of a pin.
Maglietta, 79, enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1962 to 1969, doing a tour of duty on the destroyer the USS Willard Keith DD-775 and then in Norfolk, Va. He was discharged as a data processing technician first class after being responsible for setting up the first Univac computer on the ship tender USS Vulcan AR-5.
“It’s like a big factory,” Maglietta said. “It’s called a repair ship.”
Another objective of the pinning ceremony is to highlight the advances in technology, science and medicine related to military research conducted during the Vietnam War, and Maglietta found his technical skills launched him into what became his calling in civilian life.
“Before I went to the ship, I spent two years at the IBM education center learning programming,” he said. “I spent my entire career in the computer industry.”