Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD — A local man recently returned from a trip to Fort Knox, Ky., where he joined others in receiving a long-overdue military honor.
Photo courtesy of Rodney Jones
A ceremony was held in Fort Knox, Ky., to honor members of the 19th Engineer Battalion with the presentation of the Valorous Unit Award, with a Vietnam memorial dedication taking place the same day. Attending the gathering were, pictured from left, Linda and Rodney Jones, of Fort Fairfield. Rodney Jones served with the 19th during the mid-1960s. The recognition came nearly 42 years after the unit’s last mission in Vietnam.
“Members of the 19th Engineer Battalion and attached units were invited to Fort Knox to take part in the presentation of the Valorous Unit Award and Vietnam Memorial Dedication on May 15 at Brooks Field,” said Rodney Jones, a member of the battalion.
Jones said he was one of only two individuals from Maine to attend the gathering.
“I was the only one from Aroostook County to go down. There was a man from Union who also attended,” he said.
Jones said though the event was bittersweet —many of his comrades didn’t make it home from the war — it was an honor nonetheless to be recognized.
“In 1968 the unit commander put in for the award. But we kept changing groups and the paperwork got messed up,” said Jones. “When you have that many years go by, it has to go to the congressional level to get straightened out.”
Jones credited a fellow soldier for getting the ball rolling again.
“Tom Clark — he was with the 137th, one of the attached units — was instrumental in getting this going again. He got the paperwork in order,” said Jones.
Jones said those who served in Vietnam didn’t expect or want a lot of attention for serving their country; they did what they had to do at a difficult time in history. However, the recent recognition was appreciated.
“This is the second highest award a unit can get for heroism,” said Jones. “The ceremony brought tears to a lot of eyes, as those we’ve lost (deceased veterans) were remembered. This was for them just as much as it was for those of us still alive.”
In Vietnam for about five years, the 19th lost over 100 soldiers. The Kentucky event honored the fallen soldiers for their ultimate sacrifice.
Maj. Gen. James Milano, the Fort Knox commander, referred to the gathering as “their welcome home,” according to Jones.
“Milano recognized the unit for performing bravely and heroically” during several operations in Vietnam, he said. That included efforts to keep a critical supply route open to the north.
“The 19th kept a road open, in spite of monsoons and enemy fire,” Jones said.
Lt. Colonel Heath C. Roscoe was commissioned in the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1990 from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Prior to his assignment as the commander, 19th Engineer Battalion, LTC Roscoe served at Fort Lewis, Wash., where he was the deputy brigade commander for the 555th “Triple Nickel” Engineer Brigade. He also spoke at the ceremony.
“He said after 40 years, the unit’s mission is the same,” said Jones.
The unit has been deployed to various locations over the years, one of the most recent being Afghanistan, where engineers built roads and bridges.
“LTC Roscoe said this was 40 years overdue. He said the 19th had more casualties than any other engineer battalion in Vietnam,” recalled Jones.
Jones said silence fell on the field, as a bell tolled 19 times, while the names of 105 fallen heroes were read by John Kipp, former soldier of the battalion.
“We (veterans present at the event) had time to reminisce and remember friends we’d lost. It was an emotional time for everyone — friends, family and fellow veterans,” said Jones.
