Vietnam Memorial Week 2025 Begins at Fargo Air Museum

Admission to the museum will be free for the entire week.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – The Red River Concert Band’s performance was just a sliver of what took place inside the Fargo Air Museum on April 26 and 27.

There was a flag raising and a gun salute by the Fargo Memorial Honor Guard.

Vietnam weaponry, planes, and other vehicles were on display.

Ed “Doc” Ahonen is a Vietnam vet, a combat medic who now serves as the vice president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 941.

He says his initial homecoming was not exactly ideal.

“What we received when we came back – when I came back from my second tour – it wasn’t very pleasant,” he explained.

So, seeing the public care about the war and its veterans so many years later is deeply satisfying.

Part of the weekend were multiple presentations by Maynard Kaderlik, a Vietnam veteran who saw, up close, the damage done by the herbicide Agent Orange.

“A triple canopy jungle in Vietnam, if they sprayed it, 24 to 48 hours later, everything died. It was just grey and scary looking,” he said.

He now travels to events just like this one to educate as many people as possible about its devastating aftereffects.

Both men say they’re happy to see the support for Veterans in person.

While Ahonen has a pointed message regarding support from the government.

“Our administration out in Washington should not even think about cutting back on services for veterans.”