History Chapter #267

Founding members Steve Adolph, Ted Gagacki, Colin McGee, Dave Sexton, and Ray “Sugar” Wantuck got together in the late 1980’s for what eventually were the first organizational meetings and the foundation of our chapter. They came together with different ideas and provided the initial leadership in their own ways but had a common bond: they were Vietnam Veterans. They were brothers.

The word spread throughout the City of Dearborn to neighboring communities and to local VVA chapters. “Dearborn is starting a Chapter!” That's all it took. In a very short time they were on their way to becoming the James L. Huard Chapter #267 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The chapter was dedicated to and named after Dearborn U.S. Air Force Captain James Huard who went missing in action over North Vietnam on July 12, 1972.

Currently the Chapter has a membership of 302. In addition, membership in the Associates of Vietnam Veterans stands at 38 and the group is considering starting its own chapter in association with Huard. Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. (AVVA) is a national nonprofit membership organization. Working beside the more than 600 local Chapters of Vietnam Veterans of America, and working independently, AVVA supports the needs of all veterans, their families, and their communities.

Chapter 267’s all-volunteer Color and Honor Guard are frequently seen in the Dearborn area rendering Military Funeral Honors for an eligible veteran, free of charge, with and without the participation of active military personnel.

The Vietnam War History

The Vietnam War is the commonly used name for the Second Indochina War, 1954–1975. Usually it refers to the period when the United States and other members of the SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) joined the forces with the Republic of South Vietnam to contest communist forces, comprised of South Vietnamese guerrillas and regular-force units, generally known as Viet Cong (VC), and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). The U.S., possessing the largest foreign military presence, essentially directed the war from 1965 to 1968. For this reason, in Vietnam today it is known as the American War.

It was a direct result of the First Indochina War (1946–1954) between France, which claimed Vietnam as a colony, and the communist forces then known as Viet Minh. In 1973 a “third” Vietnam war began—a continuation, actually—between North and South Vietnam but without significant U.S. involvement. It ended with communist victory in April 1975.

The Vietnam War was the longest in U.S. history until the Afghanistan War (2002-2014). The war was extremely divisive in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and elsewhere. Because the U.S. failed to achieve a military victory and the Republic of South Vietnam was ultimately taken over by North Vietnam, the Vietnam experience became known as “the only war America ever lost.” It remains a very controversial topic that continues to affect political and military decisions today.  – HistoryNet.com