Voices of Volunteers: Laurie Ruffino
Voices of Volunteers: Vietnam Veteran and National Mall Volunteer Laurie Ruffino
Laurie Ruffino (right) pictured with a fellow Vietnam War Veteran (left) at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. (Photo by Scott Marder)
The memorials on the National Mall are a special place to share stories and honor those who have served our country, and the volunteers who serve here play an important role in welcoming visitors and interpreting the sites. The Trust for the National Mall interviewed Laurie Ruffino, a volunteer on the National Mall and Vietnam War veteran, who shared a special encounter he had at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with two veterans who served in the same unit as him.
Ruffino was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant out of college, and he served with the 199th Infantry Brigade in Vietnam from October 1969 to September 1970. Ruffino began volunteering shortly after Memorial Day of 2021 when a National Mall volunteer at the Wall suggested that he join the volunteer corps. For Ruffino, a typical day volunteering on the National Mall is preferably spent at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where he helps guide some of the memorial’s over five million annual visitors. Ruffino and the other volunteers will also help visitors who bring paper and a pencil to make an etching of a servicemember’s name.
“We help veterans and family members find names on the Wall. It’s been very rewarding for me,” Ruffino said.
Ruffino is “glad to be at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, especially when the large Honor Flights come in.” The Honor Flight organizations bring World War II, Korean and Vietnam Veterans from across the country to visit the memorials on the National Mall. “I am grateful that I’m able to help them and listen to their stories and console them when necessary,” Ruffino said.
While reflecting on his experience as a veteran volunteer on the National Mall, Ruffino said, “...It’s a somber place. But I’m very glad that I was presented with this opportunity to become a volunteer. I’ve never come away feeling sorry that I took on this task.” Ruffino’s recent experience at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial captures a touching encounter, where three veterans came together at the Wall. It was a regular day on the National Mall when a fellow Vietnam Veteran, John Lefler, visited the Wall with an Indy Honor Flight. Lefler left a comment in the 199th Infantry Facebook group prior to announce that he would be visiting the memorial on September 10. Ruffino responded and let him know that he’d be working on the National Mall that day—and would love to meet.
National Mall volunteer Laurie Ruffino (left with water bottle) with fellow Vietnam Veterans from the 199th Brigade. (Photo by Scott Marder)
While volunteering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that day, a third gentleman noticed the Red Catcher’s logo (left) on Ruffino’s bottle—a symbol of the 199th Infantry Brigade, in which the gentleman had also served. “The three of us have never met before. We all served at different times, but it was still a very touching moment of brotherhood. Whether you’re in the same unit or different units, there is a certain comradery among combat veterans,” he said.
Connections like the kind that Ruffino found happen nearly every day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, thanks to the dedicated and experienced corps of National Mall volunteers who serve and share their stories. When veterans see their names on the Wall, they can feel the brotherhood that is prevalent throughout their service and beyond. Ruffino said it’s almost like going back in time, and he hopes that visitors leave the memorial understanding the “cost of lives.”
Another one of Ruffino’s most memorable moments at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was meeting and interacting with a helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam. Helicopter pilots were essential in the War, as they transported mail, food, and materials in and out of the jungle. “I have a very special place in my heart for those helicopter pilots, especially those who operated the Dust Offs,” Ruffino said. “Those guys were absolutely fearless; they would go anywhere to pick up a wounded soldier.”
His advice to aspiring volunteers is to remember the importance of promoting civic pride in our monuments and memorials. “The National Mall is a very special place, and it needs to have volunteers that can explain the memorials and talk to anyone, from students to veterans,” he said.
Ruffino emphasized the importance of having young volunteers on the National Mall. He once had the pleasure of meeting with veterans from Kansas Honor Flights, who were escorted by high school students. By volunteering on the National Mall, youth have the unique opportunity of hearing firsthand accounts of service and continuing to share those stories with others.
If you’re interested in volunteering on the National Mall, apply at nationalmall.org/become-a-volunteer.
