National Vietnam War Veterans Day 2020

Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

It was recognized in 2012 when the the President created a 13 year remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the war, those who served and those who paid so dearly.

In 2017 it was made a holiday and designated as one of the several days on which the U.S. flag should be displayed. It joins over 1500 "Days" recognized in the U.S.

The 29th of March is generally recognized as the day the last combat troops left Vietnam, although there is some disagreement about that.

So, if you choose to recognize, I hesitate to say celebrate, though others do, Vietnam War Veterans Day there are several suggestions on "national daycalendar" web page.

• Thank a Vietnam Veteran.
• Buy them a drink or lunch.
• Visit a local memorial. Volunteer to help organize events. 
• Support a veteran’s organization in your community. Volunteer and offer your skills.
• Watch a Vietnam War documentary such as The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick or Last Days in Vietnam directed by Rory Kennedy or Vietnam Nurses by Timeline.
• Read about the Vietnam War in books like Vietnam – A History by Stanley Karnow or They Marched into Sunlight: War and Peace, Vietnam and America, October 1967 by David Maraniss or The Quiet American by Graham Green and Robert Stone.

Send them a shout out using #VietnamWarVeteransDay on social media.

These ideas were taken from the nationaldaycalendar
.com web site.

I should also point out, I guess, as several sites do, to not confuse this day with Veterans Day which honors all veterans.

I had planned to write about Virginia today, but this seems more appropriate, so look for Virginia next time.

So, as mentioned above, join me on the 3rd of April for that post from Virginia.

To see more memorials from around the country, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Colorado X

One of the most gripping and poignant components of the western slope site is the sculpture, Welcome Home!

It was sculpted by Colorado artist, Richard Arnold. He, kindly, told me some of the story of this piece. He showed the finished work to a group of vets, who told him it was perfect, but he could see that there was something they were not quite comfortable with about the sculpture. Upon further questioning from him they told him they thought the uniform on the returning Marine was too neat and that he would not be smiling. Richard, who served in Danang in '65 realized that they were, indeed, correct. He reworked the statue until all agreed it was spot on. Then, one of the vets said, "let me place the Marine, so it is just right" He placed the soldier looking between his expectant parents, explaining that "He was not home, yet" Those who were there and their families will remember or understand that so many of us went away kids, and came home old men. This is made so painfully clear by the look (that should have been of joy) on the face of this soldiers mother.

In talking with Richard, I discovered that he is also the sculptor of the vet standing at the Wall in Mobile, Alabama. I wrote about him and the Mobile site some months ago. If you have not seen it you can find it here;

http://michaelfwalsh.blogspot.com/search/label/Alabama

or just go back to the first page of this site and click on Alabama

I will note, again, that any state that is underlined has been posted, just click and you are there. Any photo can be enlarged by clicking on it, too.

Richard, also, told me about another site recently completed in Louisiana. I will fill you in on that one after I have an opportunity to see it and photograph it.

To visit Richard's studio, go here;

http://www.arnoldtelluridestudio.com/works.html

Welcome Home Vietnam Veteran's Day

The Senate has declared that March 30th will be Vietnam Veteran's Welcome Home Day. Below is a copy of the resolution. In addition, Montgomery County, Maryland (for all you local readers) is having a Welcome Home activity at the new Veteran's Plaza in Silver Spring. I have enclosed a URL at the bottom of the page with more information on this local event and some pictures I took at the plaza recently. They had a display of Native American patriotic art the day I was there.


"Washington D.C - The U.S. Senate on March 8 declared March 30th
as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day," agreeing unanimously to a
resolution introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ranking Member
of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

On March 30, 1973, all U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam under
the terms of the Treaty of Paris. This March 30th, the Senate has
encouraged Americans across the country to recognize Vietnam veterans
for their sacrifice and demonstrate a warm welcome to these soldiers who
returned from war to a politically divided country.

"I'm pleased that the Senate has agreed to set aside a day to
give our Vietnam veterans a warm, long-overdue welcome home. I strongly
encourage communities throughout North Carolina and across the country
to observe this day with activities and events that honor these veterans
for their service. It's time they receive the recognition they have
earned and deserve. This day also provides our nation with an important
teaching moment. Never again should our men and women serving in the
armed forces receive the same treatment as those returning from
Vietnam," said Senator Richard Burr.

Senator Burr introduced the resolution for the second consecutive year on February 16, 2011 ..

The United States became involved in Vietnam because
policy-makers believed that if South Vietnam fell to a communist
government, communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast
Asia. The US Armed Forces began serving in an advisory role to the South
Vietnamese in 1961, and in 1965, ground combat troops were sent into
Vietnam. On March 30, 1973, after many years of combat, all US troops
withdrew. More than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces
lost their lives and more than 300,000 were wounded in Vietnam."


Here is the URL to the Montgomery County Maryland event;

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/hhs/ads/VA/PDFs/whvietnamvetsmarch30.pdf

The Veteran's plaza is located on the corner of Ellsworth and Fenton Streets in downtown Silver Spring. As the flier says, "the more the merrier"