Pasadena’s Final Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Event to Honor Veteran Who Championed National Recognition

Pasadena will mark the conclusion of the official 50th anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War with a “Welcome Home, Vietnam Veterans Day” ceremony on March 30 at Memorial Park, honoring the legacy of veteran José Guadalupe Ramos.

The event, hosted by the Martin Severance Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 446, celebrates Ramos’s advocacy that led to the national recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day.

“José Guadalupe Ramos enlisted in the Army in 1965, in his sophomore year at Garfield High,” said Sarah Towne-di Cicco, Honorary Chapter Regent of Martin Severance chapter. “From 1967 to 1968, he served as a combat medic with the 101st Airborne Division.”

Towne-di Cicco said Ramos was wounded while in the field and was awarded the Purple Heart.

The ceremony, beginning at 1 p.m. at Memorial Park’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, represents the culmination of a 50-year journey toward recognizing Vietnam veterans who often returned home to a divided nation without acknowledgment of their service.

“When he returned home, he was diagnosed with PTSD, and he realized that there were many other veterans who were experiencing trauma,” Towne-di Cicco explained. “He determined that a pathway to healing for them as well as for himself would be through his advocacy to welcome home his fellow veterans.”

Ramos’s commitment to veteran recognition included cross-country advocacy efforts by bicycle to raise awareness and gain support from communities nationwide.

“He rode his bicycle cross country to Washington DC to get the support of veterans and communities,” said Towne-di Cicco. “And then he went to Vietnam and went on his bicycle, both through North Vietnam and South Vietnam.”

The ceremony will feature James Maddox presenting Ramos’s story, with a bouquet presentation to his wife and family. Former Mayor Bill Papa will serve as master of ceremonies.

Priscilla Hernandez will share the story of her father, Silver Star recipient Danny Hernandez, while James Center, Director of Veterans Affairs for Los Angeles County, will speak about how his father’s service inspired his work supporting veterans.

Ramos founded the nonprofit Welcome Home Veterans to support those suffering from PTSD and trauma after returning from the war, speaking at universities, schools, prisons, and VA hospitals.

His advocacy led to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger establishing March 30th as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” in 2009, culminating in national recognition through federal law.

“On the 29th of May, 2017, Vietnam Veterans Day was signed into law by President Trump codifying it along with Memorial Day and Independence Day and Veterans Day as an annual observance,” Towne-di Cicco said. “Three months after that, José Ramos died of pancreatic cancer.”

March 30th was chosen as the commemoration date because it marked when the last combat troops left Vietnam, though it was March 29th in the U.S. due to the International Date Line.

The ceremony will include presentation of an official Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration certificate and American flag to VVA #446, tributes to Ramos, and recognition of veterans in attendance.

Towne-di Cicco emphasized the importance of welcoming home veterans who often faced stigma and employment challenges upon their return, with many lacking recognition when PTSD wasn’t widely acknowledged.

“I think when you come back, you want to have that, ‘we’re happy you’re home,'” she said. “And I think so much of that simply wasn’t there for so many.”

She explained Ramos’s motivation: “That’s why I think he was so, Mr. Ramos was so keen to say, ‘look, we served our country and we’re part of this nation, so please welcome us again to being home into your community that we’re Americans too.'”

The Martin Severance Chapter became one of the first California chapters to become an official Commemorative Partner of the 50th Anniversary, authorized by Congress in 2012 under President Obama.

“We began our relationship in 2012, and over time, when you establish that relationship, you get to know people,” Towne-di Cicco said. “And just getting to know each veteran, not as a block war veteran, but people, individuals, and the delight of that relationship.”

The ceremony will conclude with a wreath-laying at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and a group singing of “God Bless America.” The memorial, dedicated in 1993, features a rotunda inscribed with the names of 31 Pasadena residents who died or went missing in the war.