A powerful ceremony at Club Creek Park honored Vietnam War veterans with a new memorial.
HOUSTON — In honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day Saturday, the sounds of patriotism echoed through Club Creek Park in southwest Houston.
A solemn playing of Taps, the national anthem and a prayer marked the start of a powerful ceremony held in honor of Vietnam War veterans.
The event was hosted by Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard — who presented the city’s newest Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The memorial will serve as a permanent reminder of those who served and those who never came home.
“This memorial means a lot to me,” said Pollard. “My dad served in Vietnam—he was a Marine—and he always told me that when he returned home after serving, he wasn’t greeted with a hero’s welcome. And so, we wanted to do something to ensure that those who did serve did get that proper welcome home, that we remember their service, honor their service, and also pay respect to those who passed during the war.”
Among those honored Friday was 79-year-old Billy Smith, who served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy.
“When I returned from Vietnam my second tour, we were disliked,” Smith said, recalling the painful homecoming so many veterans faced.
But on this day, he felt something different — gratitude.
“Thanks to them for recognizing and all the people that’s supporting us still, it’s a blessing.”
Smith, along with other veterans in attendance, received a commemorative pin. It was something small, yet deeply meaningful. He said it was an honor to receive it.
“You see the smile on my face? Those kinds of recognitions bring smiles to you and lift your spirit even more,” he said.
Also in attendance was 77-year-old Alfred Steadham, who joined the Navy at just 18. He described his time in Vietnam as an experience that still resonates with him today.
“It was… I can’t even describe it… it was unbelievable,” he said.
Steadham paused at the newly constructed monument, where the names of Houston-area Vietnam veterans who have passed away are etched into stone.
“It means a lot because at the time we came back, we didn’t get this, so it definitely means a lot to me,” he said,
And he hopes this generation and the next never forget what veterans gave.
“Show your appreciation, uplift them, it means so much to each and every one of us, it really does,” he said.