In an ongoing effort to remember the service of Vietnam War veterans, Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) invited three veterans to share their stories during a ceremony March 11.

Navy veterans Nancy and David Whipple, and Army Sgt. James Boikins shared their experiences about the Vietnam War with the assembled audience at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda.

NSAB Commanding Officer Capt. Marvin L. Jones said it was important for those who serve now to know the stories of those service members who served before them.

"It is crucial that we remember our history; remember the things that these people have done for us," said Jones.

This was the second event NSAB has hosted since becoming a commemorative partner in the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration program in 2015.

The Whipples, who now live in Laurel, Maryland, both served at the National Naval Medical Center in the 1970s. They shared their experiences during that time period.

"I have four sisters - they were all busy protesting in downtown Minneapolis against the Vietnam War," said Nancy Whipple, who grew up in Circle Pines, Minnesota. "I did not get mail from them for 10 years because they were so displeased with the war. War isn't wonderful, but I was very proud to serve my country."

Boikins recalled the protestors who shouted names at him after he returned home from Vietnam.

"I was proud to serve my country because I was thinking about the guys that I lost, the guys that I served with," Boikins said. "The protestors didn't bother me."

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., bears many of their friends' names, both David Whipple and Boikins said.

"There are a number of kids I went to school with, people I knew whose names are on that wall downtown," David Whipple said.

The U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration program was authorized by the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War by coordinating, supporting and facilitating programs and activities of federal, state and local governments, and other persons and organizations. The Commemoration began in May 2012 and will continue until September 2025.

For more news from Naval Support Activity Bethesda, visit www.navy.mil/.