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Veteran’s Day Speech: November 11, 2015 by Peter H. Pelissier

PERTH AMBOY – Good morning ladies and gentlemen … I have been requested by Mayor Diaz to give a speech to recognize our veterans in Perth Amboy and across the nation and it is my honor to do so. I want to thank you for joining me today to honor our veterans for their unwavering service to America.

Across this grand Country … and throughout the world … Americans will pause this Veterans Day to honor our brave fighting man and women … who for more than 240 years have underwritten our freedom by their duty … honor and selfless service.

We recognize that all veterans have given something of themselves to this country … and some have given all laying down their lives to defend the freedoms we hold so dear. Today, as we reflect on the blessings of our liberty … we ask our heavenly father … that we may be faithful stewards of the freedom we have been granted … Let us never forget. .. that we cannot rightfully celebrate the day of freedom … without remembering the great price paid for that freedom.

We stagger … at the eternal debt we owe … to the untold number of American Veterans … who chose to set aside … their personal ambitions and dreams … to assure the wellbeing of our great nation. We, the living … are indeed the beneficiaries … as those who made the tremendous sacrifices for the achievement and surety of our liberty.

May we always be grateful. .. to those brave American Patriots … who suffered and sacrificed for the glory of God and for the freedom of all Americans.

For those Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Air Force, Coast Guards and National Guard men and women who have stood guard in peacetime … and to those who have seen the terror, the horror and the inhumanity of combat … and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice let it be said they were there for America … defending the Constitution of the United States.

To all our veterans … we have a simple yet heartfelt message …Thank you … Thank you for your unwavering service in peacetime and war, here in this great nation and throughout the world.

Our warriors know what it is like to stand guard … in the chill of the night while others sleep. While we pay homage to all American Veterans … I particularly want to thank our Vietnam veterans today … we served in a war that deeply divided our nation, but Americans is resilient … we are a country of temperance, compassion and reason … and with the passage of time we healed our wounds. I know many of you have visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. During the day the black granite absorbs the sunlight all day … then radiates the best during the evening hours. You can see the mist coming off the wall in the evening cools. There are 58,253 names on there who gave their lives so all of us can continue to live the American Dream.

(Short story about my service in the jungles of Vietnam)

A Marine Patrol in the Vietnam Jungle of the Quang Nam Province

It was a cold day as it rained during December of 1969. In fact during the monsoon season, the rain filled monsoon winds and rain caused the rivers to overflow.

My platoon was waiting to be deployed to a patrol, far out in the jungles of the Quang Nam Province about 30 miles northwest of DaNang. We were on a hill known as “LZ Baldy” the recon team spotted enemy movement of the Viet Cong. Our mission was to kill and destroy the Viet Cong and to eliminate any rice and ammunition cashes that were used to supply NV A moving south. As I looked around at the members of my platoon, some were trying to get some sleep; some were reading letters from home, others checking their equipment and weapons. No one was smiling!

We heard the choppers overhead moving near preparing to load us up and drop us at a location were the VC were last spotted. Prior to the drop I had called for Huey gun ship to fire 50 caliber rounds into the LZ in order to protect the platoon as we debarked from the Chinook 46 choppers.

This was it! Would we make it? We did! – After setting up a perimeter for the night the next afternoon we had a plan to search the area for VC and supplies. It was raining as we started our patrol. A USMC rifle platoon is an awesome sight. As we walked down a rain soaked trail it was very quiet.

We walked past a village and as we walked past the village we noticed, the people were dressed in black silk tops and bottoms, were they VC by night and villagers by day?

A bad feeling lingered through the air, the shine of moonlight followed us down the trail before it disappeared behind us in the jungles many trees. The trees were darker than usual, a forbidden sense of what lay within the jungle’s depths. Then, through all disbelief the point man tripped a mine and the ensuing explosion that took place hung in the air for a moment. I already knew that was the sound of death and it was about to get a whole lot worse. There were sounds that I will never forget, small arms fire, radio calling for medivac chopper and grenades exploding.

The power of a rifle platoon in full combat mode is a destructive force, but the tactics of the VC were cleaver and effective.

I will never forget looking at the young man with his eyes still open who gave his life for us. Still haunts me to this date. That was the only casualty we had that week, I don’t even know his name … as many young marines carne and went that were being assigned to stateside duty or to medical hospitals.

I will never forget the screams of pain and looks on their faces of “please let me live” while taking fire and trying to get coordinates to call in air support. It was a busy day and even a longer night.

The mail call was not so good either. Mail was always shipped to the base so after 10 days on patrol returning to the base camp to watch the young man open their mail varied.

• Their smiles for letters from mothers and letters from girlfriends, wives, sisters, brothers and friends.

•The “hey look” of pictures sent from stateside

•The depression of those marines who received letters from wives or girlfriends breaking up with them hit as hard as a bullet. In many cases they had to be removed from the platoon as they were not able to function.

In combat situations lives depend on many variables and depression from losing a love one distracts your attention from staying alive.

Lastly, I would like to talk about service to our country and community … I have always felt it was an honor to serve my country and community and all of you should be doing the same. Your services and talents are needed and I encourage all

of you to volunteer your services to any number of endeavors. Your church, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, little league, etc … We can all make a difference in our community.

Thank you all again for being here today celebrating with our Veterans, may God bless you, God bless our military and veterans, and may God bless the United States of America.

Peter H. Pelissier

Captain, USMC

1st Marine Division

5th Marine Regiment

Republic Of South Vietnam

1969