Vietnam-era veterans mark 50-year anniversary of war’s end

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Nearly 200 people -- including 95 veterans -- filled the Veteran Reception Center in Van Meter Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of America's war in Vietnam War. Photo courtesy Minburn American Legion Post 99

Larry and Ann Spencer were Grand Marshalls of the Iowa State Fair in 2014. Photo by Steve Pope, Iowa State Fair

VAN METER, Iowa — A large crowd filled the Veteran Reception Center here Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of America’s war in Vietnam War.

Some 170 attendees — including 95 veterans — enjoyed a continental breakfast followed by an address speech by Ann Spencer, widow of Earlham native Larry Spencer, Iowa’s longest-held POW in Vietnam.

Larry Spencer, who spent more than 2,550 days in North Vietnamese captivity, died in 2022. Ann Spencer told how her husband survived his seven-year horror and described the impact his story later had when spoke to groups.

The Vietnam Era Veteran Recognition Event was sponsored by the Dallas County Office of Veterans Affairs and the Minburn American Legion Post 99 and Minburn American Legion Auxiliary.

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