Brother of a deceased Vietnam War Vet made a special visit to a Mt. Morris school
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Ms. Paquet at Central Elementary School in Mt. Morris was surprised on Tuesday when Bob Burdno made a surprise visit.
Bob is the brother of Captain Alan Brudno, the late Vietnam War Vet of Quincy, Massachusetts. Brudno was a prisoner of war for over seven years. Shortly after returning home, Captain Brudno was overwhelmed by severe depression and took his own life.
Ms. Paquet never met Captain Brudno, she's worn his POW support bracelet ever since college.
"I'd never met met him," Ms. Paquet says. "It was just a bracelet I ordered while I was in college to support the POW movement. I had always kept it thinking someday I was going to meet him and give him this bracelet, but I never had the chance because he killed himself."
Now, years later, Paquet finally got to meet Alan's brother Bob. Her 4th grade class has been studying the Vietnam War and Ms. Paquet told her story about the fallen soldier she never got to meet. So her class sent letters to Alan's brother Bob asking him questions about his late brother.
"I actually sent them to my brother's widow," Bob Brudno says. "She sent me an email back and said, you're going to Mt. Morris aren't you... I said yes, of course."
Bob shared the story of his brother's life with the students and listened as the kids tried to relate.
"My uncle was in the Vietnam War and he came home and I'm lucky he's still here," One student said.
Ms. Paquet says she's happy her kids had a great first hand experience.
"It's making history come to life for them. Making them know these people are real, not just pictures in a book," Paquet says. "These things really happen and I think sometimes kids at this age have trouble making that connection."
As for Bob Brudno, he hopes the kids walk away remembering all they learned and how important it is that people today are still remembering Vietnam Veterans.
"It's not to late to thank Vietnam Vets for their service," Brudno says. "America did not support the troops during that war. They treated our returning Vets horribly... They can't forget those who served in Vietnam. They were just as brave, but they never got the thanks from a grateful nation."
It took nearly 30 years to get Brudno's name etched on the memorial wall in Washington DC. There was a long debate since Brudno took his own life when he returned from the war.. rather than in Vietnam during the war.
