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A heartfelt homecoming was not in the books for Vietnam War veterans.

Instead, they were met by a negative public perception that formed as the war unfolded on TV screens in living rooms across the country from 1965 to 1973. The widespread availability of media displayed the brutality and sacrifice of war like never before seen, which sparked much controversy. This negative public perception remained steady for many decades following the war.

Vietnam veterans were shunned, especially compared to the veterans that preceded them. This accumulated a certain level of shame, according to two Bemidji-area Vietnam veterans, Mike Lavoi, 78, and John Pearce, 76.

Courtesy / Mike Lavoi

"It was 41 years before anybody told me welcome home or thank you for your service," Lavoi said. "The guys that weren't in combat got treated the same way. (Many Vietnam veterans) isolated themselves and a lot of them didn't come out of the woodwork until about 2008, 2009. That's when I came out."

"We've been pushed aside for years and years and years. It took me many years before I put a hat like this on," Pearce added with a motion toward his Vietnam veteran hat. "I worked for Frito Lay as a driver for 20 years, nobody knew I was a Vietnam veteran, not a bit. My son got me a hat, I started wearing it and everybody was just surprised."

Over time, perceptions can change.

"When desert storm took place, the protests started again," Lavoi recalled. "Our generation said, 'No, you don't protest the soldiers. You can protest the war all you want, we don't (care), but you don't protest the soldiers.' We effectively stopped that and our generation got everybody (to be) more patriotic."

This moment of solidarity in 1991 helped spark new support for Vietnam veterans, yet their sacrifice was not officially recognized until many years later.

In 2008, Minnesota established March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day — the last U.S. Armed Forces combat troops departed Vietnam on March 29, 1973, and the last known American prisoners of war were released not long after. Then, in 2017, President Donald Trump signed a bill to solidify March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

The development was a sign that the times had changed; blame became appreciation. But the positive step was, perhaps, a bit too late, as Vietnam veterans face a higher risk for suicide among civilians and have many health issues related to things like Agent Orange.

Lavoi and Pearce continue to share their Vietnam War stories to help bring more veterans together.

Each traveled a different path en route to the war.

Lavoi, originally from Fosston, Minn., was drafted on his 19th birthday and served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter crew chief and door gunner in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967.

He experienced the negative public perception first hand when he came back home.

"The airport is a real bad experience for me," Lavoi remarked. "I came back on a civilian jet in 1967 in Oakland, California, and we were met by protesters. It wasn't just ordinary people. (There were) pastors and priests taking their congregation out. I still remember a nun standing at the fence who spit at me, I'll never forget that; she's etched in my mind (alongside) the two young girls about the same age as my two sisters standing by the fence and swearing at me."

Lavoi, who spent ample time in the air during the war, has flown just once since his return, avoiding airports. His only flight was with his wife to Philadelphia to honor the gravestone of a friend who died during the Vietnam War. Lavoi has even declined a chance to take an honor flight to Washington D.C.

In 1968, Lavoi was directed to a Veterans Affairs hospital by his mother.

"My mom pointed a finger across the table at me and said, 'Mike, there's something wrong with you. You need help.' So I made an appointment," he recalled.

His time there was not pleasant either.

"I was sitting in the waiting room and two World War II veterans come over to me and said, 'What are you doing here? ... Don't you know the VA wasn't intended for you, Vietnam was just a conflict. The VA was intended for us, a real war.' And I said, 'My friends are just as dead as yours.'"

His experience was not abnormal. It's why he was not outwardly about his service until the early 2000s. Lavoi is thankful that he overcame challenges to become an advocate for others.

Pearce, on the other hand, joined the war of his own accord as a senior in high school.

Courtesy / John Pearce

"I knew what I wanted to be when I was young: I wanted to be a Marine," Pearce said. "I didn't want to miss the war. My dad did: he couldn't go (to World War II) because he was older. He had to listen to that the rest of his life. That's why I said, I'm going to serve, Dad."

Pearce, originally from Perham, Minn., served in the U.S. Marine Corps, specifically the First Marine Air Wing, as a supplier in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. He was not clued into the negative perception whilst in Vietnam but also saw it first hand once he returned home.

Courtesy / John Pearce

"When I came home on the train, I walked five blocks to my house in my uniform," he recounted, "and I walked by all these people that I knew. Nobody said a word to me. I started to say, 'Hey,' and they would look the other way, all the way home.

"I volunteered. My mom never let me forget that every time I visited her. We talked and laughed and everything. (Eventually, she would say), 'Johnny, you were not supposed to go there. I am still mad that you had that recruiter come.'"

Pearce also struggled to reintegrate and has successfully avoided flying for 56 years. But now, he is proud of his service. He even perused his photo album filled with mementos of the past for the first time in decades.

Lavoi and Pearce saw their fruitful friendship begin at a post-traumatic stress disorder support group. It helped them integrate into the community. Here, they became avid motorcycle riders and joined different area clubs.

"I hardly had any friends, just a couple here and there," said Pearce. "Now, I got tons of friends. One example is my wife and I were on one of our trips 400 miles away when my bike broke down. I was really worried. My wife said, 'What are you worried about? All you gotta do is make one phone call.' I did the next morning and two guys left with their trailer to go pick us up, no questions asked at all."

The duo thanked the group counselor for the support group's success.

"You can't describe it," Lavoi explained. "There's an aura that's in the air when you walk in that room, you're automatically accepted. You're a part of the tribe, that's a good way to put it."

However, two years ago, the counselor retired and the group dissolved. The spirit of the group does live on.

Those interested in PTSD counseling or support groups can contact the or the which provide local services.

After getting the help they needed, Lavoi and Pearce became advocates for those who served alongside them.

They joined different clubs and organizations that benefit veterans, like the Patriot Guard Riders and the In Country Vietnam Motorcycle Club.

Courtesy / Mike Lavoi

The In Country Vietnam Motorcycle Club holds raffles and takes donations to support veterans. Other community organizations, like the Garfield Lake Ice Racing Club, raise additional funds for local veterans. This contributes to around $30,000 donated per year to things like the Wounded Warrior Project, according to Lavoi.

"We just gave out $2,000 to four different organizations in the area that do veteran hunting and fishing trips," Lavoi shared. "We run a lot of money through the clubs, but we get tremendous donations."

The duo plans and prepares different programs as well, like an annual Vietnam Veterans Day appreciation dinner at the Bagley American Legion. This event has seen increased attendance since it began in 2014.

The duo also supports the newly established in spades, specifically with a Bingo game at 2 p.m. every Tuesday.

They hope these efforts unite more Vietnam veterans in the future, helping convert years' worth of shame into newfound pride.

"This is a big deal to us," Pearce said. "We try because every year we will get one or two (new) guys out of the woods that maybe have never been to any (veteran) event. We really want to push our events because if we get more vets, even just one more guy, we succeeded."

Courtesy / John Pearce

Courtesy / John Pearce

Courtesy / John Pearce