IDVA Media Advisory: Vietnam Veteran Flight Surgeon to Speak at Iowa Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day, May 14th

Monday, March 16, 2026
Press Release

WHO: Iowa Vietnam Veterans, Vietnam Veteran Dr. Craig R. Saunders of Manilla; Iowa leaders, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs; Central Iowa VA Health Care System; & all veteran supporters
WHAT: Iowa Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day
WHERE: Iowa Vietnam War Memorial, south State Capitol Grounds, Des Moines
WHEN: May 14th, 11 a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The 2026 Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day ceremony will be held on May 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the Iowa Vietnam Veterans War Memorial on the south Iowa State Capitol grounds.

The announcement was made by Dan Gannon of Des Moines, the event’s primary organizer, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and the Central Iowa VA Health Care System (CIVAHCS). The 2026 program will include the Opening Ceremony, Honor Guard Presentation of Colors, keynote address, reading of the Governor’s Proclamation, and the Laying of the Wreath honoring Iowa’s Vietnam veterans.

“This ceremony is one of the most important things we do each year,” said organizer Dan Gannon. “Iowa’s Vietnam veterans answered their country’s call, and many never received the welcome home they deserved. On May 14th, we gather to honor their service, their sacrifice, and their enduring place in our state’s history.”

Gannon said visitors can also see the Iowa Vietnam War Memorial in the course of its first restoration. This is the first restoration on the memorial since it was installed in 1984. Originally scheduled to be complete for the ceremony, spring rains has delayed progress setting it behind schedule.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. (ret.) Gerry Berry of Des Moines, who piloted the last helicopter out of Saigon during U.S. Embassy evacuation, was the keynote speaker for the 2025 Iowa Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.

IDVA

This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Craig R. Saunders of Manilla, a U.S. Air Force veteran and distinguished cardiothoracic surgeon.

Dr. Saunders served as Chief Flight Surgeon at McChord Air Force Base from 1971 to 1973. McChord, home to the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, played a critical role during the Vietnam era as part of the 62nd Military Airlift Command (MAC) Wing, a major support component for the war.

A graduate of Simpson College and the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Dr. Saunders completed advanced surgical training at both the University of Iowa and The Cleveland Clinic. His 40‑year medical career focused on open‑heart surgery, and he has held leadership roles including Director of Affiliate Programs for the Cleveland Clinic Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and is now Emeritus Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery at RWJ/Barnabas Health in Livingston, New Jersey.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Saunders has contributed to Iowa’s cultural and historical record through a weekly newspaper column on Iowa history and as co‑author of Blessed, I’m So Damned Grateful, a narrative of Iowa farm life inspired by his father.

The Iowa Vietnam War Memorial is also the site of Iowa's "In Memory" plaque. This nation-wide Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation (VVMF) program honor "Men and Women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service." Registered individuals are remembered by personal profiles on an 'internet memorial' on the VVMF In Memory Program website. Iowa added 38 new inductees to the In Memory Program in 2026, bringing Iowa's total to 218 honorees - one of the highest per capita in the nation. Go to the VVMF In Memory Program website to visit or register.

Other Vietnam Veteran Events Coming up:

This summer, the VVMF's mobile honor display "The Wall That Heals" , will also be making three stops in Iowa with the following schedule.
Pottawatmie County, May 22-25
Manning, July 23-26
Brooklyn, July 30- Aug. 2