National Vietnam Veterans Day – Remembering Pvt. James H Duffett Jr.
By Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Heft
Historical NCO
BALTIMORE, Md – – March 29th marks National Vietnam Veterans Day, a national holiday established in 2007 to thank Vietnam Veterans and their families for their sacrifices during and after the conflict. While no Maryland National Guard units were deployed to Vietnam during the conflict, the Maryland National Guard and Vietnam Veterans are deeply intertwined.
Very few National Guard units were mobilized to serve in Vietnam, notably Alabama’s 650th Medical Group and Indiana’s Company D, 151st Infantry, but during the conflict over 2,000 National Guardsman volunteered as individuals to serve in Southeast Asia. Among those who volunteered was Private James H Duffett Jr. Duffett was a Baltimore native who had enlisted part time in the 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland National Guard in 1963 and worked as machinist in the city. After his first enlistment in the MDARNG Duffett volunteered for duty in Vietnam. While he was serving in country with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, he wrote to his family in 1966 that he had volunteered for active service hoping to hasten the end of the conflict and prevent his younger brothers from having to fight. Sadly, Duffett was killed in action September 18, 1966 while on patrol in Quang Nam province. Like Duffett, many other Maryland National Guard soldiers bravely volunteered to augment Regular Army units in Vietnam, much like later generations did in Iraq and Afghanistan.
During the war those serving in the Maryland National Guard participated in multiple domestic activations and played a role in securing the skies above the state. Maryland Army National Guardsman were critical in the air defense of the eastern seaboard during the war, as the 70th Air Defense Artillery (today’s 70th Regiment, Maryland National Guard RTI) manned Nike Missile sites on active duty up and down the coast of Marland through the 1960s and 1970s. Maryland Air National Guard Pilots also flew increased sorties and missions around the DMV area in an effort to support the National Defense in the absence of active component units deployed to Southeast Asia.
Veterans returning from Vietnam also shaped the future of the Maryland National Guard. In 1980, General Warren Hodges was appointed by Governor Harry Hughes as the Adjutant General of Maryland. Hodges had served in a variety of roles in his Army career, including time in Vietnam as a Brigade Commander and Chief of Staff, his recent combat experience helped shape Maryland National Guard training during his tenure from 1980-1987. Others like Brigadier General William C Bilo, saw service as a Company Commander in Vietnam with the 77th Artillery before joining the Maryland National Guard. Bilo rose through the ranks serving as the Executive Officer of the 58th Infantry Brigade (today’s 58th Military Intelligence Brigade), Chief of Staff for the 29th Infantry Division, and Chief of Staff for the Maryland National Guard. Following this he was elevated to a national level position in Washington D.C. Countless other Vietnam Veterans joined the MDARNG in the years after the war adding valuable recent combat experience to every level of the organization.
Today the Maryland National Guard celebrates National Vietnam Veterans Day, the thousands of Marylanders who served during the war, and the 1,014 Marylanders who gave their lives in the conflict.