Massachusetts governor gives emotional speech at Vietnam memorial
‘Whatever you think about the war, the people who serve deserve your respect, your gratitude and your thanks.’
[fragment number=0]
An emotional Gov. Charlie Baker emphasized the importance of respecting servicemen and women of the United States during a speech in Gloucester Thursday.
Baker, who said he was too young to serve in Vietnam but knew many who did, gave the keynote address at the opening day ceremony of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall that Heals, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. that tours the country. The memorial will be in Gloucester until July 12.
Baker’s voice broke while he shared the story of when he took his children to a concert and the band leader singled out a serviceman in the audience and thanked him for his service to his country.
“The place went nuts,’’ he said. “And once again I thought, while for many of you the legacy of Vietnam is complicated, it taught people a valuable lesson about how they should view those who serve. And it’s played all the way through, since that time, over and over again in every conflict that this country’s been involved in. Whatever you think about the war, the people who serve deserve your respect, your gratitude and your thanks.’’
2016 presidential candidates:
[bdc-gallery id=”140212″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com