Veteran reflects on sacrifices made during Memorial Day reading of names
By Leticia Ordaz
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — At The California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento, 80-year-old Ted Adams on Sunday shared his emotional experiences and commitment to supporting fellow veterans during a reading of names.
Adams found this Memorial Day particularly challenging, a day when those who made the ultimate sacrifice are honored.
“It’s very emotional because these are brothers and sisters. They didn’t come home. We have a little over — I think it’s now over 6,000,” Adams said.
Adams, who often relives his experiences from the war, shared his personal history, not just on Memorial Day weekend.
“I was wounded twice, blown up once, shot in the leg once. And, I will always remember my experiences over there,” he said. “I lost a lot of buddies here. I’ve got one person on the name on the wall that I went to high school with. I went to high school in West Sacramento.”
Upon returning home, Adams recalled the mistreatment he faced when he landed in Sacramento. “We were called hired killers, baby burners,” he said.
Despite suffering from PTSD, Adams is dedicated to helping veterans get the support they need.
He emphasized the importance of educating the younger generation about the memorial wall.
“We would like for the younger generation to come down and be taught about what’s going on here. You know, the names, the meaning of our memorial here. But very few come down here,” he said.
The reading of the names serves as a healing process for those affected, and veterans are committed to continuing this tradition.
“It gives you cold chills, like I said,” Adams said. “It’s very emotional, very emotional. Sometimes when I, when I was reading the names, I couldn’t read them all because it was so emotional. And I would have to get somebody else to finish that.”
The event took 11 hours, with volunteers reading the names of the 5,822 people who died serving and protecting the country.
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