Albert Heydt is grateful for his survival.
“I’m alive. That’s all that matters,” said Heydt.
The Vietnam War vet spoke about his service during National Salute to Veteran Patients Week at the Wilkes-Barre VA.
Heydt served four terms abroad. First in the Philippines, then in Japan, Germany and finally in Vietnam. He enlisted straight out of high school, at 18 or 19 years old, where he “learned a lot more than he should” in Air Force Intelligence.
Now, nearly 80 years old, Heydt reflected on how his service shaped him. It’ll be 50 years since the war’s end in April. Most of the vets at the VA wore “Vietnam Veteran” hats and other Vietnam memorabilia.
“A lot of us are dying off from Vietnam, and a lot of the guys I was in with are dead already…It's part of life. World War II [veterans go], then the Korean veterans, then the Vietnam veterans. A lot of us are dying off. There's nothing you can do about it. It's part of living and dying,” said Heydt.
At Thursday’s parade, the lessons, achievements and horrible memories from the war were intermeshed. The salute to veterans week honors veterans who live in Community Living Centers (CLCs) or veteran-only nursing homes. It was a joyful celebration, with 1960s patriotic swing music and on-brand red, white and blue cake, but also bittersweet.
Organizer Louis Smyth said the week shows older and disabled veterans that they are still appreciated. The indoor parade made it easier for veterans in wheelchairs to take part.
“We just really want to remember our veterans and everything that they have done for us, and this is a pleasure to be able to serve them,” said Smyth, a volunteer service specialist with the Center of Development and Civic Engagement. “... It’s just been a joy for them.”
Service organizations from around the area came in throughout the week to host bingos and parties. The salute week pushes people to get involved with their local VA, where veterans share stories about their time in the military.
Heydt remembers clearly his efforts to get the Vietnam Veteran Memorial established in Washington D.C. Like many vets after Vietnam, he was advised to keep a low profile when returning to civilian life to avoid being targeted and even “spat on.” Instead, he worked on getting veterans’ history memorialized.
“I used to go down to the Vietnam Memorial all the time…I was one of the first people that supported that financially, with Jan Scruggs,” said Heydt. “But after everything was built, the veterans, the Vietnam veterans, used to go down there in the evening and sit there on the hill and kill themselves, commit suicide. So, a bunch of U.S. veterans decided to go down there every month or so and spend the whole night out there and stop anybody that tried to kill themselves.”
Heydt never saw anyone attempt suicide during his night watches. His message was clear: he fought for himself and others to stay alive.
The VA helped him, he said. Community Living Centers do more for veterans than regular nursing homes. He was always going to join the Air Force, he added he was named after an uncle who passed while serving in World War II. The VA understands people like him.
Like Heydt, Joseph Snisky said the VA has helped him face life. He’s dealt with several health scares in recent years, and the VA got him the medical treatment he needed.
“I would suggest, if anybody has a problem military wise, they should have the VA support them because they would fix it,” said Snisky.
Snisky’s a fellow Vietnam Vet. He served in a bit of everything: the Marines, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard while stationed in Vietnam, Germany, Guam and Japan. He rarely worked alone.
“I had a police dog, and we were guarding all the stuff that was being brought in (with) Agent Orange and bombs and everything else, and we were in the process of guarding all that so the enemy wouldn't…get it,” said 84-year-old Snisky.
Keldo the German Shepherd and Snisky served on the front lines.
“It was hairy at times. I mean, you were being shot at. Sometimes they missed you or hit friends of yours, or it was a little crazy. You had to be there to really see what was going on,” said Snisky.
Beyond sharing their experiences from the war, many vets talked about the ways they’ve found to live in the present. While the national salute week focuses on remembering older veterans, it also offered a picture into how vets in veteran nursing homes find community in and outside of wartime experience.
Army vet Marty Horvat shared how he focuses on his personal growth – both his physical and mental health.
After serving in Vietnam, Horvat returned to his roots at the VA: farming. He tends to the center’s garden. Besides keeping him active alongside his weight training classes at the VA, gardening brings back childhood memories of working on an acre on his neighbor’s farm.
“He said, ‘If you want to put a garden in, you can.’ You know, we had a great yard. We sold a lot of sweet corn, tomatoes and all kinds of stuff,” said Horvat.
His passion for gardening won him several first and second place awards from the Bloomsburg Fair, according to the VA’s Facebook.
Veteran's week is held every year, the same week as Valentine’s Day. Smyth emphasized that a big part of making veterans in nursing homes feel heard is by having a network of volunteers.
“It's been a great outlet and opportunity for family and for those who really want to serve our veterans and give back to our veterans, to become volunteers,” said Smyth.
He added that the VA needs a wide variety of volunteers. People can work as medical care drivers, caregiver support, in the VA’s canteen and coffee shop, and more.
Interested volunteers can reach out to the Center for Development and Civic Engagement office at 877-928-2621, ext. 27237 or 570-821-7237. Volunteers are required to complete an interview, application and background check. More information is on the Wilkes-Barre VA’s website.
