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March 29th — a regular date to many, but for some, it’s much more than that.
In 2017, the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act was signed into law by the 45th United States President Donald J. Trump, officially signifying March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This day was chosen in part for the disestablishment of Vietnam and the day when the last U.S. combat troops were removed from Vietnam. In addition, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war in correlation to this chain of events.
The U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration honors all veterans who served on active duty in the armed forces at any time from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, regardless of location and their families. Today, the Department of Veteran Affairs estimates there to be more than seven million U.S. Vietnam veterans living in the U.S. and abroad, along with 10 million families of those who served during that timeframe.
To help continue, as well as increase, the support of Vietnam veterans, many organizations like the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration are exclusively dedicated to the cause. The Vietnam Veterans of America and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund are just two other organizations that strive to support veterans and their families in addition to helping raise awareness of each respective cause.
Some ways to help support veterans on March 29, or any other day, include attending events hosted across the country, reading and watching movies about the Vietnam War, thanking a Vietnam veteran you may know, (or any veteran and active duty servicemember), and visiting local memorials. These are a few examples of the many ways we can thank and acknowledge our veterans.
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