TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In Vietnam, Americans from all walks of life landed in a strange land. They banded together, many putting aside their differences to fight for their country.
Alex Vega was thinking of that patriotic fight as he sat inside a hangar at the Tallahassee airport, one of 72 veterans whisked away on a whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C.
Vega served as a Navy Corpsman in Vietnam. He was among the first to triage the wounded in the heat of battle.
“You learn that you’re a little bit more resilient than you thought you could be,” he said.
On this day, he was prepared to remember fallen friends and reflect on what it meant to serve.
“I just got the job done,” Vega said.
Vega’s humble approach to his journey through life extends to his thoughts on his Native American heritage.
“It’s a hidden pride, because we don’t dwell on it,” he said.
Vega was one of thousands of Native Americans who served in Vietnam.
“I’m proud of my heritage, I’m proud of it,” he said. “Personally I think that you got to consider where you’re at and what you’re doing at the time. For instance, when I was in Vietnam, I was an American citizen and fighting for my country.”
Professor Andrew Frank leads Florida State University’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Center. He said native people have fought alongside the U.S. for generations.
“[They are] quintessential patriots when it comes to the U.S. military,” Frank said.
While talking about his heritage, Vega was quick to mention the Navajo Code Talkers, who helped confuse the enemy with their codes during the Second World War.
“The Japanese would hear everything, but they didn’t know what the heck they were saying.” he said.
Vega continued that legacy, serving nearly three years in Vietnam.
“Then I get home and we’re not welcome, to say the least,” he said.
His not-so-warm welcome was a familiar tale that carried extra weight.
“So, you know, and not only was [I] an American serviceman, I was an Indian in that. so, you know, double whammy.”
“Native Americans, African Americans, they came home to a separate but unequal world, right?,” Professor Frank said. “So they’re overseas fighting in one way. They come home with sometimes the stain of being a Vietnam vet, as well as not coming home as an equal.”
Still, as the years passed, Vega said he learned an important lesson.
“A lot of people now are saying ‘thank you for your service’, and being a Vietnam vet I didn’t know the answer until somebody told me the proper response would be, ‘thank you for your support’.”
And on this day in D.C., Vega got plenty of practice saying that response, as he heard plenty thanks from a now grateful nation.
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