The Vietnam War began on November 1, 1955, and ended with the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. This makes April 30, 2025, the 50th anniversary of the end of this War.
During the 20-year duration of the War - the longest War in U.S. history - many Cheshire residents served in the Armed Forces. One resident, Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum, Jr., received the Medal of Honor for his actions. Two other Cheshire High School graduates, Gary C. Richards and John A. Gravil, made the ultimate sacrifice.
In this section of our website, we:
Recognize all individuals from Cheshire who entered the Service during the Vietnam Era.
Highlight the stories of Gary Richards and John Gravil.
Provide a link to another portion of the website that recounts the actions of Barney Barnum that resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor.