The 2025 Veteran of the Year, U.S. Army Col. Patrick Downing, Ret., will be the featured speaker at an upcoming event honoring Vietnam veterans.
The South Alabama Veterans Council (SAVC) is hosting the ceremony on March 29 at Battleship Memorial Park.
"The ceremony will conclude with the raising of flags around the park to half-staff in remembrance of those who lost their lives or went missing during the Vietnam conflict," said Mayor Sandy Stimpson. "This commemoration not only honors the 9 million Americans who served during that time, including the 5.4 million still living today, but also pays tribute to the 304,000 who were injured, the 1,253 servicemembers missing in action, the 2,500 prisoners of war, and the 58,000 whose names are etched in stone at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C."
Downing, who survived two near-death experiences in Vietnam, joined the U.S. Army in 1960. He served as a medic in Special Forces, married his high school sweetheart, Patricia, was deployed, and his first child was born by the time he was only 22 years old.
After completing Officer Candidate School, Downing was deployed a second time to Vietnam, where he served as a platoon leader. He did not suffer any physical permanent injuries but said he had to learn how to sleep again when he returned from the second deployment.
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Despite the mental toll, Downing became an instructor at the Army Ranger School at Fort Benning and eventually attended Harvard University as part of a National Security Fellowship.
After 37 years in the military, Downing retired in 1996 and then worked for the University of South Alabama for 20 years.
Downing has also served on the Alabama Board of Veterans Affairs and is involved with local veterans organizations.
The Vietnam Veteran ceremony will begin at 7 a.m.
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