Norwin Elks host annual Vietnam Veterans Luncheon

Robert and Joseph Tanyer weren’t even legally allowed to drink yet when the two brothers from Jeannette signed up for the Army and shipped out to Vietnam in the late 1960s.

“I turned 21 while I was over there,” Joseph Tanyer said. “I didn’t think too much about it. I just went.”

The Tanyer brothers’ father was also a veteran, in the Army’s 4th Infantry Division.

“I know that’s why I wanted to go,” Robert Tanyer said. “We wanted to serve our country.”

The Tanyer brothers were both among more than 170 Vietnam vets at the Norwin Elks’ fifth annual Vietnam Veterans Luncheon. The Elks have been hosting the event since 2017, when President Donald Trump proclaimed March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

On March 29, 1973, the last U.S. combat troops stationed in Vietnam left the country, and it is also around the same day that the last acknowledged prisoners of war, being held in Hanoi, were released.

“We visit with you today to pay respect and honor,” said Andy Nigut of Murrysville, a Marine Corps veteran and Elks Club member who served in Vietnam. “Because you sacrificed your lives, many of us survived. And we live to remember, serve, protect and defend your memory.”

The luncheon included a 21-gun salute to fallen Vietnam veterans and the playing of taps.

Prior to the meal, Pastor Dan Lawrence of Murrysville Alliance Church not only said a prayer, but made sure to let veterans know about the Agent Orange recognition service his church is hosting April 12.

Veterans who served in Vietnam are eligible to receive an “Agent Orange Heart,” created by the nonprofit Orange Heart Medal Foundation.

Robert Tanyer had his Orange Heart medal with him.

“Too many veterans fall through the cracks, too many get forgotten, and something like this is really helpful,” he said.

Nigut also recognized the work of another nonprofit, America’s Gold Star Families, which recognizes and assists those grieving any military loss through active duty service.

“I think about them often,” he said. “I think about the pain and grief they went through losing a loved one. We celebrate Memorial Day once a year, but every day is Memorial Day for our Gold Star families.”

Just a few minutes east on Route 30, members of VFW Post 33 in Greensburg also held a ceremony honoring the legacy and memory of Vietnam veterans, including recognition of 89 Pennsylvanians still listed as missing-in-action.

Ninety-seven Westmoreland County veterans lost their lives fighting in Vietnam.

Don Rohac, the Norwin Elks Club chair for veteran affairs, said it’s been rewarding to watch attendance at the luncheon grow over the years.

“The first year, we had about three dozen,” he said. “This year we had 171 pre-registered, and there’s more than that here today.”

The luncheon is one of seven events the Norwin Elks host each year centered around veterans.

“It’s tremendous what organizations like this do to help recognize veterans,” Robert Tanyer said.