National Vietnam War Veterans Day

[WT Door]

American Legion:

"March 29 is designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This is a time to pay 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.

March 29, 1973, is the day U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished and the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day, the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration stated that Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war."

Many of you know Vietnam Nam War Veterans. I was lucky to serve with many as a JO. They hold a special place in the quilt of my service time. Here's a salute to all of those Veterans.

 

[AF6872]

Older but not necessarily wiser.

 

[MidCakePa]

Was in DC just yesterday. As always, I took a couple hours to stroll the Mall. And as always, I spent a few moments at the Vietnam War Memorial. I’ve been there so many times, yet it never fails to move me. Each name is so real, so personal, so visceral. The WWII Memorial is also magnificent, but it projects a very different (that is, less personal) scale of tragedy.

Aside: Whenever I’m in the vicinity, I also climb the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and spend time reading the two speeches engraved on either side of the statue. They are spare, stark reminders of why our nation is worth defending, protecting, preserving. And I thank God for the men and women who have sworn to do just that.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

American Legion:

"March 29 is designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This is a time to pay 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.

March 29, 1973, is the day U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished and the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day, the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration stated that Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war."

Many of you know Vietnam Nam War Veterans. I was lucky to serve with many as a JO. They hold a special place in the quilt of my service time. Here's a salute to all of those Veterans.

the only problem I as a VN vet have with this Legion statement is the concentrating on the lack of recognition we got on returning home and not one word about a war that the Legion supported so strongly and for so long that should have never been fought in the first place.

We are sorry It was a giant mistake and we will be smarter next time——-that is the message that should be given if they want to honor those 58,000 and the rest that fought there.

 

[AF6872]

I didn't need any ticker tape but I did get my pin

 

[aetosArmy]

Wishing this catastrophe never happened, but honoring the soldiers who faced it with grit.

 

[OldRetSWO]

the only problem I as a VN vet have with this Legion statement is the concentrating on the lack of recognition we got on returning home and not one word about a war that the Legion supported so strongly and for so long that should have never been fought in the first place.

We are sorry It was a giant mistake and we will be smarter next time——-that is the message that should be given if they want to honor those 58,000 and the rest that fought there.

Your second paragraph would be more appropriate coming from the US Gov. The Legion does not have any ability to send or not send people to fight but just works to support those who are sent.
IMHO, what the Legion is continuing to do is to apologize/make up for the treatment that Vietnam Vets were met with at many Legion posts
when they returned from Vietnam. At that time, the "old guard" which was mostly WWI and WWII vets were often dismissive towards Vietnam service.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

Your second paragraph would be more appropriate coming from the US Gov. The Legion does not have any ability to send or not send people to fight but just works to support those who are sent.
IMHO, what the Legion is continuing to do is to apologize/make up for the treatment that Vietnam Vets were met with at many Legion posts
when they returned from Vietnam. At that time, the "old guard" which was mostly WWI and WWII vets were often dismissive towards Vietnam service.

The Vietnam War, reconsidered

We went to prevent the toppling of dominoes in Southeast Asia – and we succeeded.

www.legion.org

well it was a Legion release not a US govt release but I agree with your point the Legion was more a cheerleader of that war than a driving force of the war.

The Legion was a major demonizer of those protesting the war Amd was a strong supporter of that war.

And it seems above they may still be.

But the issue should not be whether that war was ever winnable. It should be why where we ever in that war to begin with

or more important why were we still in that war years after the US Govt realized in was a mistake and essentially unwinable.

Most US troops that died were killed after the US Govt DoD realized it was a mistake being there,