More than 50 years after serving in Vietnam, two St. Petersburg war heroes accepted the Honored Veteran Award by shifting the spotlight to young troops who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Mayor Ken Welch presented retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Hardy W. Bryan and Marine Corps veteran Eddie Pringle with the city’s highest honor at the 13th annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Wednesday. Albert Whitted Airport, where fighter pilots once trained during WWII, hosted the event.
Pringle, a Gibbs High School graduate who served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, used the opportunity to remember friends whose lives were cut short in combat. His unscripted remarks visibly moved many attendees.
“I don’t have a written speech; my speech is definitely coming from my heart,” Pringle said. “I’m here today because of my fellow Marines who served with me in Vietnam. Most of them did not have an opportunity to vote … Most of them never married, never had a child, because they were too young.”
Pringle recounted the names of fallen comrades he fought beside in Southeast Asia: a close friend killed on Sept. 10, 1967; a battle buddy from Philadelphia killed during the 1968 Battle of Huế and posthumously awarded the Silver Star; Kelly, who took Pringle’s place on the front line and was killed in Khe Sanh; and a young Marine who died before his 20th birthday.
“These are the real, true costs of war,” Pringle told the crowd. “Overall, it’s the people who don’t get to come back home.”
Pringle earned numerous decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and Rifle Marksman Badge. Following his military career, he served as commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6827 and has been a dedicated member of the Masonic fraternity for more than 50 years.
Bryan, who was born at St. Anthony’s Hospital, spent 10 years overseas in Germany, Italy and Vietnam. He accepted the award on behalf of the “thousands of sons and daughters of this great city who have served this nation.”
Bryan reflected on the heavy toll exacted on local families during the Vietnam War. He said 56 St. Petersburg residents died in the conflict, including a Northeast High School classmate, Jim White.
White, whose older brother Ed became the nation’s first spacewalker, was shot down over Laos in 1969 while piloting an F-105 jet. His remains were not recovered until 2018.
Bryan, evoking Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s iconic 1951 address to Congress, drew raucous applause with a spirited declaration: “He was 84 years old when he spoke those words: ‘Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.’ Now, I am older than he was, but I assure you that this old soldier has not even begun to fade away.”
While his military career ended in 1983, Bryan has remained a servant leader. He spearheaded long-term community support for traumatic brain injury survivors, served on the city’s Nuisance Abatement Board, helped fund college scholarships for first responders and became president of the Allendale Terrace Neighborhood Association.
Welch noted that the city’s veterans, regardless of background or branch, share a common bond – “a willingness to place service above self.” He also praised the honorees for demonstrating that military discipline and public commitment endure long past active duty.
“I believe one of our greatest responsibilities is to ensure that the gratitude we express on Veterans Day is reflected in how we support our veterans every day,” Welch said. “That means honoring their contributions, recognizing their unique needs and working alongside our community partners to connect veterans with opportunities, resources and support.”
City Council Chair Lisette Hanewicz, the daughter of Cuban exiles who arrived in the United States on Freedom Flights to escape a dictatorship, used her personal background to frame the moment.
“Their experience taught me from a very early age that freedom is precious, democracy is fragile, and neither can be taken for granted,” Hanewicz said of her parents. “To the veterans who call St. Petersburg home: We see you. We value you. And we are grateful for all that you have given and continue to give to our community.”
