Oregon Coast today., October 25, 2019, Page 5, Image 5

From the battlefi eld to the park
I
t’s not easy to get Tony Molina to talk
about himself. He’ll shyly admit to pride
in his years of volunteer work, military
service and legacy as an advocate for veterans,
but if you really want to get him talking,
ask about his wife, Sue Bradle Molina,
with whom he shares four children, 11
grandchildren and a new great-grandbaby.
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“We’ll be married for 50 years this July 4,”
Tony said. “She’s an inspiration to our whole
family. When I volunteer she’s usually right
beside me; we’re a good team.”
An Olympics hopeful in speed skating
until an injury forced her to retire young, Sue
has stayed fi t. While I was sitting down with
Tony, she was on a four-day solo hike along
the Rogue River.
Th ough marrying Sue was the best
decision of his life, little else has defi ned Tony
as much as his service as an encryptor from
1967 to 1969 during the Vietnam War.
“I was assigned to the 595th Signal
Company at Phouc Vinh,” he said. “We
supported the Big Red One Infantry. I
experienced the TET Off ensive and later was
assigned to Bac Lieu.”
His discharge came after being transferred
to the 7th Special Forces at Ft. Bragg,
California and for a little while he stayed in
the state working as a data specialist for a
telephone company.
A few years later, his company transferred
him to Newport and he and Sue happily
Molina’s family gathers at the memorial he spearheaded at Newport’s Don Davis Park
settled outside of Siletz and began to raise a
family.
But soon, Tony found himself troubled
because, though his wartime experiences were
similar to many, his willingness to be open
about them was diff erent.
“I met parents who had lost sons in
Vietnam that didn’t want to talk about it.
I made friends that served there and didn’t
tell me for a long time. On my trip home
after my discharge, people yelled at me and
said hurtful things and it was awful, so I can
understand. Many Vietnam veterans had an
especially hard time readjusting to civilian life
because of these experiences.”
With a desire to create some healing,
Tony asked the City of Newport to create a
memorial for Vietnam War casualties from
Lincoln County.
“Th ey said if I raised $50,000 they would
match it,” he said. “I raised $60,000. [Former
City Manager] Don Davis teased that I was
a conniver because I had said all we need is
20x20 space and we ended up with a whole
park.”
Th e park, now named after Davis, is
located south of Nye Beach along W Olive
Street. Th e memorial features a wall of names
and a poem written by Tony, “Th e Poem for
Hope and Healing,” etched into a large slab
of marble.
“When we dedicated the memorial,
people came that had protested the war,”
Tony said. “Some told me it helped them
remember that those they protested against
were people too, many of whom had been
drafted and they asked for forgiveness. It was
pretty moving.”
Formally retired in 2003, Tony has kept
busy with projects like a soup kitchen he and
Sue started in Siletz and helped run for seven
years, serving as post commander of VFW
Post 732 and as president of the Vietnam
Veterans of America, Chapter 411. In 2008,
he accepted a part-time position as veteran
representative for the Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians.
One of his favorite events held by the tribe
is the Celebration of Honor at the Chinook
Winds Casino Resort, which honors veterans
and active-duty service men and women
and includes a tent with information about
PTSD and agent orange support and other
critical information.
“It’s neat to see young veterans come into
the tent,” Tony said. “Seeing them get the
help they need makes the celebration well
worth it.”
Tony’s healing began when he came home
to a friend made during the war.
“When I was on base, we had a puppy
named Itty Bitty,” he said.
“I pestered my platoon leader to let me
send her to my parents for her safety. He
fi nally gave in and we headed for Saigon.
Th e person in charge of fl ights laughed and
said no way was I getting on with a dog but
when the next chopper came in, a lieutenant
colonel and a captain said we could take their
place. We made it to Saigon and instantly a
Vietnamese cab driver came over and asked
about her.”
When told the story, the driver off ered
to take them at no charge to a Vietnamese
veterinarian who had studied in the US.
“He could fi x it so I could avoid
quarantine, but it would cost 200 dollars,”
Tony said. “Th at was exactly how much I
had, so I gave it to him and headed back to
base. When I came back to the US, my mom
said she knew exactly when I landed. ‘All of
the sudden Itty Bitty got more excited than
I’ve ever seen her,’ she said. ‘And I knew right
then you were safe.’”
‘THEY SAID IF I RAISED $50,000 THEY WOULD MATCH IT. I RAISED $60,000.
[FORMER CITY MANAGER] DON DAVIS TEASED THAT I WAS A CONNIVER BECAUSE
I HAD SAID ALL WE NEED IS 20X20 SPACE AND WE ENDED UP WITH A WHOLE PARK.’
Tony Molina
oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • October 25, 2019 • 5