By Jeremy P. Amick March 30 of each year has been designated in Missouri law as Vietnam Veterans Day, a brief moment in time “designed to encourage Missourians to observe the day with appropriate events, activities and remembrances of those who served during the Vietnam conflict,” as noted in a press release available on the website of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. Most profound of these efforts, however, are instances spent in reflection of the more than 1,400 Missourians who lost their lives during the war, as families and friends strive to ensure the sacrifices of their loved ones never fade from public awareness. “We grew up in a family of 10 kids—five boys and five girls,” recalled Tony Bamvakais, while discussing the life of his older brother, John Bamvakais, Jr. “Our father had served during World War II and John (Jr.) wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he added. The Bamvakais family moved to Jefferson City from St. Louis in 1963, where their father served as a staff officer with the Missouri National Guard’s 35th Command Headquarters. “My brother (John Bamvakais, Jr.) attended Jefferson City High School and enlisted in the Army after he graduated in 1965,” said Tony. “What’s interesting is that for the brief time he was in the service, he actually followed in our father’s footsteps because he went on to serve in the same unit that our father had served in during World War II.” Completing his basic training at nearby Ft. Leonard Wood in early
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