Vietnam War Veterans Day was first observed as a one-time occasion on March 29, 2012, when President Barack Obama issued a proclamation calling on “all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
It honored the US military members who served during the Vietnam War (1955-1975).
National Vietnam War Veterans Day was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2017, designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day pays special tribute to the 9 million Americans who served during the Vietnam War era, to the 58,000 names memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and to those who never received the recognition they deserved when they returned to America from war.
You may be wondering why that specific date was chosen.
The answer is simple and appropriate for the question: on that day in 1973, the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam and the last prisoners of war held in North Vietnam arrived on American soil.
As we honor their sacrifice, we must also remember the profound challenges they faced, both during and after their service.
Vietnam veterans, once met with scorn and misunderstanding, now stand as pillars of resilience, their stories woven into the fabric of our nation’s history.