Lansing - Greg Shepard never served America in Vietnam, but he paid tribute Sunday to friends he lost overseas.
Shepard, a Lansing resident, was among hundreds who gathered to christen the Michigan Vietnam Monument on Veteran’s Day. After 13 years of planning, the monument became a reality for war veterans Sunday.
“I got some friends that died in Vietnam,” he said. “So I wanted to see if I can see their names.
“It’s hard to say, but it means a lot of things to me.”
The Vietnam Monument Commission of Michigan was established by the state Legislature in 1988, charged with conceptualizing, designing and funding the monument.
More than 400,000 Michigan residents served in the Vietnam War, and 2,654 died or were missing in action during their service. The monument, which cost about $3.4 million, is 120-feet-long and displays the names of all 2,654 casualties from Michigan.
“I have a buddy who’s name is on that wall,” said Hugh Roberts, from Fenwick, who still wears his friend’s identification bracelet.
Roberts, who spent three terms at MSU before entering the war, said about 150 men from his unit died in the war.
“This is a long time coming,” he said.
During the Veteran’s Day dedication ceremony, Gov. John Engler honored the veterans through a recorded statement.
“We honor the memory of all who served, and all who died in the defense of freedom,” said Engler, who was attending a conference in Japan. “Destiny has carved their names on these walls, and no one will see this memorial without being profoundly moved.
“To run your fingers along these walls is to trace the largest fabric of humanity in which their lives and memories are embraced.”
Rodger Crawford, a Vietnam veteran from White Lake, said the dedication was the first time he had been to a Vietnam event since he returned home from the war more than 25 years ago.
“I had tears coming out of my eyes,” he said. “I saw a few names up there that I knew.
“It means a lot.”
Another speaker, Peter Lemon, Michigan’s only surviving Vietnam recipient of the Medal of Honor, spoke about giving Vietnam meaning and said the war should be remembered as “The Defining War.”
“To define means to mark, to identify, to discover, to find meaning,” he said. “We have given meaning and identity for what we stand as Americans. It defined us, either directly or indirectly.
“The Vietnam War was not our darkest moment, it has been our nation’s guiding light.”
And the monument, designed with 55 lights, will glow as a place for war veterans for the indefinite future.
“I was hoping this would be a closure for me,” said Ed Rogoski, a Vietnam veteran from Roseville. “When I get up to the wall and touch it and everything, it will be a final closure. It is an honor, and it has been long needed for Vietnam veterans.”
Rogoski said veterans should be honored for the important work they complete in trying times.
“Veteran’s Day will always mean something to me because of me, my father and his father,” he said.
