27-05-2025
Flag rescued out of South Vietnam flown at Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — One of the final American flags rescued and removed from South Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War was proudly raised once again — this time at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall display at Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport.
In an emotional tribute held this Memorial Day weekend, veterans, families and community members gathered to honor Arkansans who gave their lives in Vietnam and in conflicts since. The sight of the historic flag, fluttering against the afternoon sky, served as a powerful symbol of remembrance and sacrifice.
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Among those attending was Sandra Orr, whose brother, Charles T. Moore, served as a medic in the war. She recounted his bravery with pride and sorrow.
'He had a little three-month-old baby he only got to see once,' she said. 'He rescued his wounded commanding officer under fire, and as he lay dying from shrapnel wounds, he was still directing others on how to care for the injured.'
Moore's legacy lives on, she said, in a medical clinic at Fort Hood named in his honor — and now, again, on the traveling memorial wall where his name is etched.
'I just can't imagine all of these names,' Orr added, looking across the panels. 'They gave up their lives for this country. And they need to be honored.'
Her daughter surprised her with a visit from Tulsa to place flowers beneath his name — a gesture that moved Orr to tears.
Retired Major General Walter A. Paulson also spoke at the ceremony. Though he never saw combat, Paulson held critical command roles during Vietnam and in later conflicts.
'I had to be the one to say 'you're not ready,'' Paulson said, describing the difficult responsibility of evaluating units for combat readiness. 'It wasn't easy, but I knew that if I wasn't honest, people would die unnecessarily.'
Paulson recalled that ten of his classmates from flight school and five from artillery school died in Vietnam. One, he said, had taken his place in the field after he received flight orders.
'These were my brothers. I trained them, I loved them, and I remember them,' he said.
He also praised fellow speaker and longtime friend, Col. Hugh Mills Jr., a retired U.S. Army pilot and Vietnam veteran who completed three tours.
'Hot Springs has always been home,' Mills said. 'Even though I live in Kansas City now, I come back every Memorial Day and Veterans Day.'
Mills, a former Hot Springs resident and son of the city's school superintendent, commanded troops in Vietnam. Twenty-eight of his soldiers were killed in action.
'Eighteen names on this wall are from Hot Springs,' Mills said. 'They gave their tomorrows for our today.'
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Mills referenced the words of General George Patton: 'It's a shame to mourn the men who died. We need to thank God that we had them.'
'That's how I live,' he said. 'Everything we do to honor their memory is our duty as citizens.'
This year's memorial event reminded Arkansans of the personal stories and enduring sacrifices behind every name engraved on the wall. It also spotlighted the deep connections that continue to bind veterans, their families, and their communities together — through the raising of a flag that once flew in war-torn skies, and now stands as a testament to honor and remembrance.
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