Scranton commemorates Vietnam War memorial wall replica at Nay Aug Park

Army veteran David Higgins barely survived the Vietnam War and it has haunted him ever since.

Experiencing several brushes with death, and seeing fellow soldiers killed, the resident of Lake Twp., Luzerne County, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and other service-related maladies.

A closeup shot of the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

Higgins came home from the war in 1969 physically intact but for decades never knew he suffered from PTSD.

“Vietnam has left a lot of nightmares for me,” Higgins told a rapt crowd Friday night at an opening ceremony of a Vietnam War traveling memorial wall replica erected at Nay Aug Park in Scranton for viewing and visiting this weekend.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall and “Cost of Freedom” tributes are displayed in Nay Aug Park near the pool complex and new multicourt facility. The touring exhibit of the nonprofit America’s Freedom Tribute organization also includes displays honoring sacrifices of military service members from World War I through Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Higgins was a keynote speaker at wall exhibit that was set up Thursday in Nay Aug Park for public display Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“I saw this wall when it was down in Forty Fort many, many years ago. I could not walk any further than two panels and I started bawling, because I am so grateful for my Lord above that my name is not on that wall,” Higgins said. “I’ve had multiple close calls and after everything was done, you better believe I thanked the Lord because I don’t how I made it through.”

Army veteran David Higgins of Lake Twp., Luzerne County, speaks Friday, Oct. 2, 2026 at an opening ceremony of a Vietnam War memorial wall traveling replica display at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
All hell broke loose

Classified as 1-A in the draft, meaning top of the list and fully available for military service, Higgins was scared and did not want to go to Vietnam. He volunteered in 1965, asking how to stay out of the war zone, and was told signing up for an extra year of duty would get him sent to Germany. He did that. After a few years in Germany, he got sent to Vietnam. But first, he came home on leave and got married.

“We had a good three, four weeks of marriage. Thirty-four days later, I was in Vietnam. I was a nervous wreck,” Higgins recalled.

In January of 1968, Higgins was deployed to Vietnam for artillery training near the Chu Lai Air Base. One week later, North Vietnamese forces launched the Tet Offensive surprise attack on many cities and military bases in South Vietnam. Chu Lai was among the targets hit.

“When I was sleeping, all hell broke loose,” from enemy bombs, Higgins said. He saw one soldier get mortally wounded when thrown from the concussive force into a telephone pole. “I said ‘Lord, you’re going to have to see me through this. I don’t know how I’m going to do it.’”

Many soldiers coming home to a fractured America were met with derision and hostility.

“We were not appreciated as Vietnam veterans. We were not,” Higgins said. “When I got on the plane, I was yelled at, I was called baby killer. So I didn’t talk about Vietnam. Not too many people, except my family, knew that I was in Vietnam.”

Many years later, he finally learned he had PTSD. It was only last year that he started proudly wearing a Vietnam veteran cap.

“Do I have nightmares? Ask my wife,” Higgins said. “I had nightmares that I can’t shake and for the first time ever, a couple months ago, I was actually killed in my nightmare,” executed by an enemy by gunfire at close range, “and I woke up, and it was a nightmare.”

“So yeah, we still suffer. PTSD, I will tell you I didn’t have, but I guess I suffer with it. Am I suicidal? I will not commit suicide. Do I think about it? You better believe it,” Higgins said, adding his deep faith in God keeps the dark thoughts at bay.

Higgins and his wife, Gladys, will celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary in December.

Marine veteran Joel Sofranko of Peckville speaks Friday, Oct. 2, 2026 at an opening ceremony of a Vietnam War memorial wall traveling replica display at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
Supreme sacrifice

Another speaker at the wall ceremony, Marine veteran Joel Sofranko of Peckville, enlisted in 1967 at age 18 and also arrived in Vietnam in January of 1968. He was “sent north to the DMZ,” the demilitarized buffer zone between North and South Vietnam.

“It was during the most intense fighting of the Vietnam War. I remember so well, it was raining like hell, it was during monsoon season. I was alone, I was wet, I was cold. When I stepped off the steel tarmac from getting off the C-130 airplane, I was in mud up to my ankles. One of my first thoughts that came into my mind was, ‘Joel, what the hell did you get yourself into,’ Sofranko recalled. “I’m willing to bet many of these names on this wall had the same feeling. Unfortunately, they never did get home to see their family, their relatives, their parents, their brothers, sisters. They made that supreme sacrifice.”

Sofranko mentioned three heroes he served with and whose names are on the wall. He also spoke of the post-war toll that has ensued over the decades.

“We need to remember casualties from that war are still ongoing, whether it’s from diseases related to Agent Orange, post-traumatic stress disorder or veterans’ suicides,” Sofranko said. “For many of us who participated in that war, the war may be finished physically, but mentally, it never leaves.”

Vietnam veteran and Nay Aug Park volunteer Sam Kuchwara offers remarks Police during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Wish fulfilled

Co-sponsored by the city of Scranton and Lackawanna County, the exhibit was arranged in large part by Marine veteran Sam Kuchwara, 72, of Dickson City, who is a native of Scranton and an active volunteer with the Friends of Nay Aug Park civic group.

A few years ago, Sam’s brother, James “Kuch” Kuchwara, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War and commander of VFW Post 25 in North Scranton, had raised the idea to Sam of getting a replica Vietnam War wall back on display in Scranton. A similar wall exhibit last visited in 2011. Kuch died in March 2023 at age 73 and his wish for a return of the wall gnawed at Sam. Last year, he got the city and county on board for funding to make it happen.

“Jimmy always said, ‘Don’t ever forget a veteran. Don’t ever, ever, ever forget a veteran,’ and that’s why I did what I did,” Kuchwara said. “I’m just so grateful the way everything fell into place and it’s here today. The last couple of days have been very emotional for me. I’ve got four or five really, really, really good friends on this wall.”

Sam Kuchwara, who is vice commander of American Legion Post 121 at Nay Aug Park, served in the Philippines and Okinawa during the Vietnam War and his division twice was sent to Vietnam to secure the Da Nang International Airport.

“I was a grunt. I did a total of 13 months overseas and I’ll never forget when I came home, I was blessed, Kuchwara said. “I have been blessed that I made it home.”

Lackawanna County Commissioner Thom Welby offers remarks Police during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Welcome home

Lackawanna County Commissioner Chairman Thom Welby recalled graduating high school in 1968 and how, “I was just very scared that my (draft) number was going to be called and a lot of my friends were called and a lot of them didn’t come home.”

When surviving veterans did return home, “In that time and that era, they weren’t treated well,” Welby said. In thanking all veterans for their service and sacrifice, Welby added, “and for you Vietnam era veterans, welcome home.”

Other speakers included Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti, Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll, who is a Marine combat veteran of several overseas operations, Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan, state Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-113, Scranton, and state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp. Everhart Museum CEO Tim Holmes served as master of ceremonies. Scouting America Troops 50 and 1016 led the Pledge of Allegiance. Ashley DeFlice sang The National Anthem. Tom Rummerfield, chaplain of the Northeast Marine Corps League Detachment delivered the invocation. The detachment also performed a Presentation of Colors, Salute and ‘Taps.’

Most living Vietnam-era veterans are now in their 70s and 80s. From February 1961 to May 1975, over 3.4 million Americans were deployed in support of U.S military operations in Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia, with over 58,000 paying the ultimate sacrifice and nearly 1,600 remaining unaccounted for, according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars website.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall is an 80% replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. The “Cost of Freedom Tribute” includes panels memorializing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice from World War I through 9/11, the Gulf Wars and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The exhibit’s public viewing hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A veteran listens to a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

Chaplain Tom Rummerfeld, Northeast Marine Corps League Detachment, delivers the invocation during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

Scranton Police Chief Tom Carroll salutes during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

Scranton Police Chief Tom Carroll offers remarks Police during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

A closeup shot of the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti offers remarks Police during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan delivers remarks during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski offers remarks Police during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

State Rep. Kyle Donahue offers remarks Police during a ceremony at the Vietnam War memorial traveling wall replica at Nay Aug Park on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)

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