National Vietnam War Veterans Day is observed every year on March 29 and is a way to thank and honor our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. There are 5 objectives with Vietnam Commemoration and the other four are:
- Highlight the service of our Armed Forces and support organizations during the war
- Pay tribute to wartime contributions at home by American citizens
- Highlight technology, science and medical advances made during the war
- Recognize contributions by our Allies.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day will be observed on Friday, March 29, 2019.
Who does Vietnam War Commemoration Honor?
U.S. Armed Forces personnel with active duty service between November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location of service which includes:
- Nine million Americans serving during that time
- 7 million Americans living today
- 2.7 million U.S. service members who served in Vietnam
- 58,000 whose names are memorialized on a black granite wall in our Nation’s capital
- 304,000 who were wounded
- 1,253 Missing in Action (MIA) heroes who have not yet returned to American soil
- 2,500 Prisoners of War (POWs)
The commemoration makes no distinction between veterans who served in-county, in-theater, or were stationed elsewhere during those 20 years.
Origins of National Vietnam War Veterans Day Commemoration
- 2007: Congress incorporated language in H.R. 4986 authorizing a program commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War
- 2008: H.R. 4986 was signed into law on January 28, 2008
- 2012: The Vietnam War Commemoration began with the Presidential inaugural event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012
- 2017: The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 established The National Vietnam War Veterans Day to be celebrate each year on March 29
- Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War will continue through Veterans Day, 2025
Presidential Proclamation Regarding Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017
“To ensure the sacrifices of the 9 million heroes who served during this difficult chapter of our country’s history are remembered for generations to come, I signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, designating March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Throughout this Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, and every March 29 thereafter, we will honor all those who answered our Nation’s call to duty.” President Trump