When Susan Terrio found out on Arlington National Cemetery’s social media that a Vietnam War 50th Anniversary tour would be held on Sep. 27, 2024, she immediately booked a flight from her hometown in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to Washington, D.C.
She invited her father, Jack Terrio, a Vietnam veteran, to go with her. He was initially hesitant, as he has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was not sure he wanted to revisit his memories of the war.
In the U.S. Navy, Terrio served in Vietnam between 1965 and 1967, delivering Marines, tanks, and equipment up and down South Vietnam’s coast. He disembarked Marines and tanks into battle zones and saw them get ambushed. He watched helicopter gunships firing over his head at landing beaches or rescue helicopters flying the wounded out to ships. He also remembered ships firing salvos over his head at inland targets.
“I used to think PTSD was only for people who saw things in combat,” Terrio explained. “Now I’ve learned that that’s not true.” He meets regularly with other Vietnam veterans who support each other. “We all have different experiences,” he said.
After reflection, Jack concluded, “Okay, I can do this.” He called his daughter and agreed to fly with her to D.C.
The tour posed challenges for Terrio, who experienced a panic attack at its beginning. Historian Marc R. Henderson of the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, who led the tour, offered Terrio a Vietnam Veterans pin. “That took my mind off the anticipation of what was happening,” Terrio said.
The tour visited the graves of distinguished Vietnam War veterans such as Generals Colin Powell and Alfred Gray, and Henderson explained their contributions. The Terrios appreciated that Henderson discussed Vietnam’s history and how the United States became involved in the war.
While the rest of the tour went smoothly, Susan Terrio worried about her father’s reaction to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Monument. “My dad is very triggered by helicopters,” she said. But the stop at the monument did not affect him.
During the tour, Jack Terrio enjoyed talking to other veterans, including an Army nurse who served in Vietnam in the early 1970s and a disabled veteran from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Susan Terrio was overwhelmed by the compassion that guides and attendees had shown her father.
The Terrios subsequently decided to take the regular tram tour of ANC. When they reached the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Terrio noticed other Vietnam veterans in attendance, some in wheelchairs. He shook hands and spoke with them. As he and his daughter prepared to leave, one of the veterans said to him, “Take care, brother.”
“That meant a lot to me,” Terrio said. “It was a good day.”