After 3 Tours In Vietnam, Collingswood HS Grad Still Helping Vets

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — When Al Bancroft enlisted for his third tour of duty in Vietnam in 1969, he was a newlywed man with a four-week-old daughter. When he returned, she was a little more than a year old.

“When I came home, she didn’t know who I was,” the 1958 Collingswood High School graduate said. “That was the hardest part.”

But Bancroft enlisted for three tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Marine Corps because he felt it was the right thing to do. He felt it was the right thing then, and he feels the same way today.

“I would go back today,” Bancroft said. “I love my country, and I always will.”

With his 80th birthday on the horizon, a trip overseas to fight for his country wouldn’t be in the cards for Bancroft today. However, his service is not at an end, as he continues to help veterans any way he can. As an officer with the Camden County Office of Veterans Affairs, he helps veterans get the help they need.

“Too many veterans don’t know how to get the help they need,” Bancroft said. “ … I love helping veterans.”

He also knows the importance of letting veterans of the Vietnam War know they are appreciated. That’s why he thinks the county’s upcoming 4-day event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War is so great.

“They came back, and they thought no one liked them. That’s how the world treated them,” Bancroft said. “ … It’s important for veterans to know this is not a joke. This is a true, meaningful thing. If they think it’s going to be political, they’re not going to want to be a part of it.”

Politics was a big part of the conflict in Vietnam. Never declared an actual war, Bancroft found himself right in the middle of a conflict that was the subject of much controversy back home.

“It was a necessary and terrible time in our country,” said Bancroft, who went into the Marine Corps right out of high school. “ … I looked at the situation and thought, ‘I hope we’re doing the right thing.’”

He went to Vietnam as an engineer in 1965. He unloaded supplies on a beach in Da Nang for 18 hours a day, in heat that exceeded 100 degrees, for 4-5 weeks. It was tough, but he powered through it.

“You just do it,” Bancroft said. “I came home in 1966 and volunteered for a second tour because I thought it was the right thing to do.”

In his second tour, he continued to work as support, unloading helicopters at different bases. He went home in 1967, and got married in 1968. He re-enlisted in 1969, and returned to Vietnam shortly after his daughter was born. His son was born after the war ended.

“I grew up real quick,” Bancroft said of his experience. “When I grew up, I was taught about liberty, freedom and honor. When I joined the Marine Corps, they told me to go out there and do it. The war helped me understand things I didn’t understand before.”

When he came home, he was selected for long officer school. He retired as a colonel in 1991 after 33 years of active duty service. He’s worked for the county Office of Veterans Affairs since. He was a part of putting together Camden County’s upcoming event, which will feature a different program each day beginning Thursday, Sept. 5, and ending Sunday, Sept. 8.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, the Office of Veterans Affairs will host a special Vietnam Veteran Pinning and Medal Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony will honor and celebrate veterans of the Vietnam War who are current members of the community.

On Friday, Sept. 6, veterans, their families, and other members of the community will come together for a candlelight remembrance vigil at the Traveling Tribute Wall in Cooper River Park to honor those Vietnam veterans who never returned home. The Traveling Tribute Wall previously came to Camden County in 2009, and Bancroft was part of that ceremony.

“The wall was important because a lot of people didn’t know the sacrifice they made until they saw the wall,” Bancroft said. “It let a lot of families know we’re here for them and the vets. A lot of family members don’t know where to go for help.”

On Saturday, Sept. 7, the county will host a veterans' resource fair, featuring family fun, educational activities, and a concert featuring the Tri-County Symphonic Band and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.

The commemoration will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 8, with a closing ceremony and the 9/11 Heroes Run. Read more here: 4-Day Event Commemorates Vietnam War In Camden County

The program is hosted by the Board of Freeholders in partnership with the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration, the Philadelphia VA Medical Clinic, and The Travis Manion Foundation.

It commemorates the 50th anniversary of the war which began in November 1955 and ended in April 1975. In 2012, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation to recognize the 50th anniversary of the war over a 13-year period, during which the federal government would work with local governments to honor and celebrate the veterans in their communities.

For a list of services offered by the Camden County Office of Veterans Affairs, visit camdencounty.com. For more information regarding Camden County's Vietnam Commemorative event, visit http://www.camdencounty.com/WelcomeHomeVietnamVets. For more information about the history of the Vietnam War, visit https://www.vietnamwar50th.com/.