Vietnam veteran David Whitten addresses the crowd at the Nov. 15 ceremony, sharing his experience as an infantryman. Sophie Burchell / The Forecaster

On Nov. 15, 1967, American infantryman David Whitten was wounded multiple times during intense conflict in the Vietnam War. Born and raised in Portland, he was 21 at the time. Years later, he still remembers the time at which he was gravely injured: 2:30 p.m.

On Nov. 15, 2024, at 11:15 a.m., Whitten was finally recognized for his military service at the Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6859, including receiving the Purple Heart for sustaining wounds in combat. Whitten said that receiving this recognition 57 years later felt like being welcomed home.

“This is the best day of my life,” said Whitten, repeatedly.

Whitten was given 10 awards, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and a Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. In attendance at the ceremony was U.S. Sen. Angus King, Portland Mayor Mark Dion, General Dianne Dunn and other veterans and friends of Whitten, including his mailman.

The process leading to this day started almost a year ago in December, when Whitten came to a holiday craft fair at the Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6859 and was connected with Steven SanPedro, state commander of the Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars. Whitten said his paperwork was not in his veteran’s profile and he believed himself eligible for a Purple Heart. SanPedro made it his mission to get Whitten his due honors.

“I asked him to give me a chance. I made no promises, but I told him, ‘Just give me one chance to try to get this for you,’” said SanPedro.

“I honestly didn’t think it would take this long. However … we ran into some blocks, but I’m so excited to be able to get it done today. I feel relieved because we were able to finally give him the welcome home that he deserved,” said SanPedro.

SanPedro got in touch with King’s office, who played a key role in the lengthy process of securing the 10 awards. The paperwork that tracked Whitten’s service and injuries had been previously lost or misfiled, accounting for the absence of his military honors. Together, Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars and King’s office corrected this oversight.

Whitten was born in Portland, Maine, on June 2, 1946, and graduated from Portland High School in 1964. When he first tried to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1966, Whitten was rejected because of tonsillitis. His father found a doctor who removed Whitten’s tonsils, and he successfully enlisted six months later.

“My father told me that when my country called, no matter what, you go fight for your country,” said Whitten.

The medals that David Whitten received on Nov. 15, including a Purple Heart. Sophie Burchell / The Forecaster

After basic training at Fort Ord in California, Whitten was shipped to Vietnam, fighting as an air mobile infantryman in the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Whitten described his experience in the Vietnam War as haunting, recalling memories of seeing Vietnamese refugees flee in terror and his friends killed before his eyes.

“I’m torn between being so happy to be here today, and 57 years ago I was in the fight of my life. So many guys got killed. All the way to this day and probably the day I die, I could never figure out why God saved me and let my friends die,” said Whitten.

“Not to be gross, but war sucks. That’s the only way you can talk about it: it sucks,” he said.

Whitten had sustained other injuries on the field previously. Then on Nov. 15, 1967, Whitten was shot and stabbed in combat and medevac’d to a U.S. Navy ship. Following his honorable discharge, Whitten soon returned to Portland, where he worked multiple jobs and ultimately retired as a truck driver. Whitten said his return to civilian life was difficult due to stigma around the Vietnam War.

“I don’t regret it. I’m a proud American-’Nam, proud (Veterans of Foreign Wars) member. When I came home, just like any Vietnam vet in here will tell you – maybe they won’t, because they don’t like thinking about it – we were treated worse by American civilians at home than we were by Vietnam.”

The Vietnam War was widely unpopular in the United States, with 52% of Americans believing that entering the war was a mistake. Many Americans believed that the war was not morally or legally justified, with the draft and televised media coverage of the war contributing to this opposition. Returning from a war that was increasingly unpopular, American soldiers faced scorn, unlike WWII veterans who had returned to fanfare.

As a veteran himself and mindful of the past, SanPedro wanted to show appreciation for Whitten’s service.

“History has proven that the Vietnam veterans were not welcomed home properly, and as younger veterans – I’m a Desert Storm and Iraq freedom veteran – we were welcomed home properly because of what happened to Vietnam (veterans),” said SanPedro.

“So anytime I have an opportunity to say thank you and welcome to a Vietnam veteran, I do it, and I think everybody should do it, because they were wrong on the way that they were treated when they came home. They were just doing what their country asked them to do,” he said.

Friday’s ceremony felt like the warm homecoming that Whitten did not receive over 50 years ago, he said. In the half-century since, he has faced the aftermath of experiencing war, including post-traumatic stress disorder, physical disabilities from his injuries and witnessing the epidemic of veteran suicide around him while struggling himself.

“I got a lot of Vietnam veteran friends that never got any medals, and they suffered just as much as I do. You know, PTSD, isolation,” said Whitten.

Despite how he grapples to understand why the war affected him and his friends as it did, Whitten appreciated the celebratory nature of the day.

“I don’t think I’m a hero. I think I’m a survivor. But today, I love you guys calling me a hero,” he said.