'We never forget them:' 45 years after war's end, Vietnam veterans hold ceremony for lives lost

MILWAUKEE -- The Vietnam War came to an end on April 30, 1975. Forty-five years later, a special ceremony was put on by the men who fought in the war to honor those who never came home.

The names etched in stone at Milwaukee's Veterans Park are a bit weathered, like the men who stood before them Thursday.

"We never forget them," said Joseph Campbell, a Vietnam War veteran. "We love them."

In the 45 years since the war's end, those who came home have lived a lifetime in honor of their brothers who never did.

"They are in us," Rev. Ray Stubbe said. "I just can't forget, and I think a lot of you are here today because you can't forget,  nor should we."

Time has not faded the memories of friends lost, or the hate-filled faces of protesters who greeted the survivors when they returned home. But time has repaired some of the hurt.

"We came home, we were spat on. We were called baby killers," Medal of Honor recipient Gary Weztel said. "We've had good friends that have died in our arms, and we think about that. They let us live for a reason. So here we are."

For the veterans of Vietnam, the end of the war was just the beginning.

"Now, I can teach others not to do it," said Campbell. "We lived it, and you don't forget that."

A lifetime to honor the service and sacrifice of the men they served with, and every service member who followed in their footsteps.