Norwich — Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson authorizing the landing of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade to defend the Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam.

And city resident Jim McKibben said Sunday that it was also 50 years ago that he was “launching all these fine gentlemen and ladies” as a Navy sailor assigned to one of the service’s amphibious assault ships.

“We launched them at Da Nang, Cua Viet, Cam Ranh Bay. … We were all over the place and just launching these fine young men and young ladies at 3 in the morning,” he said, adding that he was around 19 when he joined the Navy.

McKibben is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Connecticut Chapter 270 and a Veterans of Foreign Wars chaplain. He performed the opening and closing prayer Sunday afternoon at Norwich Free Academy’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The event, which took place at the War Memorial Park on Chelsea Parade, honored those who served and died as a result of the conflict.

“We gather to honor all who served in Vietnam and we pay special tribute to the local soldiers and NFA students who lost their lives in service to our country,” said NFA Head of School David Klein.

The school last year signed onto the national movement commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war. As part of that commitment, the school will sponsor a series of commemoration events over the next three years. Sunday’s event was the first in that series.

Karen Cook, head of the history department at NFA and one of the co-sponsors for the event, said being a commemorative partner provides the school with an “opportunity to teach students a valuable lesson about history and service.”

In May, Cook added, the school will be inviting veterans into classrooms to share their experiences with the students. Cook unveiled the commemorative partner flag that will fly on NFA’s campus. The flag includes the phrase “A grateful nation thanks and honors you,” which Cook said, “is the personal message to each veteran, civilian family member and all who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.”

As is now widely known, Vietnam veterans often did not receive a warm welcome when returning from the war.

“We weren’t appreciated back then, obviously,” McKibben said. “We were spit on, coffee thrown on us, called baby killers and everything else.”

“But we know now when we see service people to acknowledge them and to thank them. We’ll never allow a service person to go through what we had to go through,” he said.

During his opening prayer, McKibben said, “Welcome home to Vietnam vets.”

McKibben completed two tours in Vietnam, the first lasting nine months and the second four months. He was one of more than 2 million Americans who were deployed to Vietnam. More than 58,000 died as a result of the war.

Several NFA students participated in the event by reading the names of the Vietnam veterans from the Norwich area who lost their lives during the war. They also listed the significant awards that the deceased had received, including Purple Hearts, Combat Action Ribbons and National Defense Service Medals.

In addition to the Vietnam veterans, relatives of veterans were also present at the commemoration, and some even participated.

Cheryl Mertens of Niantic is the widow of Charles W. Mertens, who was an Army crew chief in Vietnam on a Chinook helicopter. He served for a year and two months there. In the early ’80s he joined the National Guard. His unit was activated for Operation Desert Storm and he served at the Fort Campbell Army base in Kentucky. Mertens said her husband died in January 1992 of double pneumonia.

“He had a disability for Agent Orange that he got in 1981 because of his service in Vietnam. I’m sure that may have had some bearing on his lungs,” she said.

After her husband died, Mertens “went looking for the Vietnam vets to see what I could do to help them.”

Her parents both served in World War II. Her dad was in the Navy and her mom was an Army nurse. Mertens said she and her parents, who passed away several years ago, “have been very involved with the veterans down in Niantic.”

“When I can, I help and march with them or do benefits and I belong to the VFW auxiliary in Niantic,” she said.

Mertens was a member of the color guard at NFA’s commemoration.

During her remarks, Norwich Mayor Deb Hinchey thanked the veterans in the audience not only for their military service, but also for their service to the community.

“When I look out over many of you, I see not only did you serve your country 50 or so years ago, but you continue to serve your community and your fellow veterans,” Hinchey said. “I want to tell you that that has the most meaning to people who see you every day in the community and all that you do.”

j.bergman@theday.com

Twitter: JuliaSBergman