SAUGUS — Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2346 is turning to the public for donations in order to fund its third “Roll to D.C.” trip for local veterans.
Next year, Vietnam-era veterans from Saugus, Lynn, Melrose and other North Shore communities will have the opportunity to attend the four-night trip to Washington, D.C., which includes a stay at the Presidential Inn on Andrews Air Force Base (home of the Presidential Aircraft), a ceremony to lay a wreath at the Vietnam Wall and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and visits to a number of military memorials and statues.
“We want every veteran to be able to go for free, so the intent is to have all the Vietnam-era veterans to go on this trip at no cost,” trip chair and Vietnam-era veteran Dennis Gould said of the GoFundMe page he and his team set up this week.
Because Gould estimates the trip will cost approximately $70,000 to pull off — “We want to let everyone go who wants to go,” he said — the team is currently seeking major sponsorships and donations from all corners of the community.
Trips like these are particularly important, he explained, because they can offer a form of closure to men and women who have survived the horrors of war and still suffer the mental and emotional effects of that trauma.
“If you served in Vietnam and lost a buddy, it’s still daunting to have that in your memory,” Gould said. “Some people really don’t get closure until they go to the Vietnam Wall and they see their buddy’s name on it, or they do a trip like this and they lay a wreath.
“It’s very therapeutic and very emotional. Some vets have told me it was very helpful to them. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) didn’t start with Desert Storm. PTSD started in Vietnam and a lot of people still have it.”
Unfortunately, as with most fundraising efforts over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated matters.
“We can’t have dances and get-togethers and stuff, so we started a GoFundMe page as a kickoff,” Gould said. “We’re now doing general fundraising and trying to get the public and military organizations and others to start donating because we still can’t have organized fundraisers.”
Also serving on the trip’s committee are Vice Chairs David Nelson of the Saugus American Legion and Stacey Minchello of Melrose Senior Center. Stan King of Quartermaster Post 2346 is the committee’s treasurer.
Those who wish to become a sponsor or who are looking to learn more can contact Gould at 617-257-4847, or email him at [email protected].
The GoFundMe account can be accessed at the page titled “2022 Roll to DC.”
Individual donations can be made out via check to “Saugus VFW — Roll to D.C.” “Roll to D.C. 2022” should be written in the comment line and mailed to: Saugus VFW Post 2346, 190C Main St., Saugus, MA, 01906.
“For ex-military people, these things are a memory they’ll never forget,” Gould said. “The camaraderie and brotherhood that’s built up in three or four days during the whole trip is incredible, and many of them come back and say it changed their life. They finally got closure to Vietnam.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at ecarmosino@itemli