Former Grosse Pointe resident grateful for War Memorial’s recognition of Vietnam veterans
With National Vietnam War Veterans Day approaching on March 29, we thought it would be fitting to share the story of a Vietnam War veteran with connections to The War Memorial.
John Lauve grew up in Grosse Pointe Woods and attended schools like Grosse Pointe University School in the 1950s, Vernier School in Grosse Pointe Shores, and Parcells Middle School in Grosse Pointe Woods. Lauve, 82, resided in the Grosse Pointes for over 30 years and currently lives in Holly.
Lauve served in the Army 1st Infantry Division as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. He was part of the 2nd Brigade, assigned to the aviation unit.
From May 1967 to June 1968, 1st Lt. Lauve was stationed in Vietnam, operating as a helicopter pilot, flying the Bell H-13 Sioux. He received his flight training at Fort Rucker in Alabama and Fort Wolters in Texas. One of Lauve’s classmates in flight school, Fred E. Ferguson, received the Medal of Honor for actions taken in January 1968.
“With Huey’s you would pick people up and drop them into landing zones,” Lauve said. “I was the pilot. There was no co-pilot, and I would work with different brigades in their operations. I was the aviation unit for the infantry.”
In Vietnam, Lauve primarily operated north of Saigon. His unit's area of operations was from the outskirts of Saigon to the Cambodian border. Lauve was there for the Tet Offensive, a major escalation of the war which began in January 1968.
“You’d fly up the artillery people who were directing fire and scouts, giving them direct service to the battalions in the brigade,” he said.
In just over one year, Lauve logged 1,283 flight hours in the Vietnam War. He was discharged as a captain in 1969.
“The idea of being there was that the bad guys (Viet Cong) were trying to use force to take it from the other guys and they were more effective in the operation,” Lauve said. “That’s why the guys in North Vietnam took it over when we left town.”
Lauve’s involvement at The War Memorial includes attending several Veterans Day Breakfasts, and having his name engraved on the bronze Vietnam War Honor Roll Plaque at The War Memorial.
The bronze plaque for Vietnam veterans was dedicated at The War Memorial on Memorial Day in 1989. The plaque is positioned on a wall on the main floor of the Alger House, outside of the Reception Room. Over 400 names are on the Vietnam War plaque. Currently, we are in the process of developing a Grosse Pointe Veterans Honor Roll Application form for additional names to be included on The War Memorial’s online Honor Rolls.
“I made sure that my neighbor, William Toth who was killed in Vietnam had his name on that plaque,” Lauve said. “It was nice they made an effort to recognize those people that were sucked into that mess.”
Army Pfc. Toth was killed in action on Oct. 27, 1964 at the age of 22.
Reflecting on The War Memorial, Lauve said “They added a lot at The War Memorial over the years. Originally it was just the Alger House. Back then there was a lot of mansions on Lake Shore too.”
Lauve believes The War Memorial is an organization that is doing its part to honor America’s finest - our veterans.
Since the inception of The War Memorial’s Veterans Committee in the fall, our organization is looking to increase programs and initiatives for veterans. Upcoming veteran-related events include the Vietnam Veterans Day Luncheon on March 28, and a seminar about Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention on April 25.
This year, as part of our 75th anniversary, The War Memorial will share stories from the public about the impact and experiences they have had at the nonprofit organization.
Interested in sharing your War Memorial story? Visit our 75th anniversary page on our website to share your personal experiences with us, or email Communications and Marketing Manager Alex Szwarc.