Vietnam Veterans Raise POW/MIA Flag at Greek Church’s Memorial Day Celebration

The following piece was provided by Peter Vergados:

Memorial Day Celebration, Sunday, May 18th, at the Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church, Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA included Raising of the POW/MIA Flag. Color Guard was the Civil Air Patrol Cadets from the MA Wing located at Hanscom AFB. Hoisting the flag was Charles Kalivas, an Army Veteran who served in Vietnam 1967-68. Assisting was Leader of the Veteran’s Ministry, Peter J. Vergados, who also served in Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller (FAC).

Charles Kalivas arrived in country at Cam Rahn Bay March, 1967. Proceeding to Long Binh, where he was assigned to the 62nd Combat Engineer Battalion He was then ordered to MACV in Saigon and became part of Task Force Oregon to reform the Americal Division in Chu Lai. After 4 months, he returned to Long Binh where he spent the rest of his tour with occasional trips to the Mekong Delta assisting Artillery Units in jungle clearing operations. Charles Kalivas returned home 16 March, 1968.

Peter J. Vergados arrived in country April 1968 and was assigned to the 504th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Nha Trang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. His base of operations was Pleiku, AB, South Vietnam. As a Forward Air Controller flying the O-1 Aircraft out of Kontum Airfield, he supported the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division whose area of operations was the Central Highlands.

He later was transferred to Phu Hiep Airfield, 10 miles south of Tuy Hoa Air Base supporting the 4th of the 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. He flew more than 375 combat missions, logging more than 800 flight hours. His many military awards Include the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters. He returned stateside, May, 1969.