Canadian Vietnam Veterans

The Vietnam War was two generations ago, and the facts about the war are fading from the public memory. There also are facts about the war which were never known by most people, and some of these facts are surprising even to those who served in Vietnam.

In the last issue of the HistoryNet.com magazine "Vietnam" an article titled "Oh Canadians" tells the story of Canadians who came to the U.S. to join our military to fight in Vietnam. Younger people may not appreciate the strong emotions of people about the war. Fred Gaffen, previously an historian with the Canadian War Museum, claims that approximately 60,000 Americans fled to Canada to escape the U.S. military draft. At the same time about 30,000 Canadians crossed the border to enlist in the U.S. military. While the anti-war movement received a lot of coverage, the anti-communist people believed that communism presented a threat to democratic nations.

It is thought that at least 100 Canadians were killed in the Vietnam War, but there was difficulty identifying all of the Canadians who had joined the U.S. military. A significant number of the Canadian volunteers had an important figure who had served in World War II or the Korean War. This role model was a motivating figure for many of the Canadian volunteers. The Canadians displayed courage and fought with dignity.

One U.S. Army Sergeant, born in Southern Ontario, moved with his family to Alabaster, Michigan, and later became a U.S. Citizen. Sgt. Peter C. Lemon was assigned to firebase Illingworth near the Cambodian border with E. Co., 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. The firebase was located along a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) resupply route. The firebase became a target for the NVA on April1, 1970. The NVA hit the firebase with hundreds of mortars, rockets and recoilless rifle rounds followed by an assault by approximately 400 troops. Lemon was repeatedly wounded, and when those weapons broke down he fought hand to hand. Finding a working M-60 machine gun he "stood atop an embankment fully exposed to enemy fire and placed effective fire upon the enemy until he collapsed from his multiple wounds and exhaustion." Lemon was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.