Vietnam Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam veterans and their families and is part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home more than forty years ago.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, signed into law on Tuesday, March 28th, 2017, designates March 29th of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Most states celebrate “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” on March 29th or 30th of each year. Though there is some debate, March 29th is generally viewed as a more appropriate date. On that day in 1973, the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam and the last prisoners of war held in North Vietnam arrived on American soil. It is also the date President Nixon chose for the first Vietnam Veterans Day in 1974.
For the veterans who served during this era, this conflict has particular meaning. Each of these veterans experienced the war in a unique, individual way; no two stories are the same. As veteran Tom Hagel has explained, “When we think of wars – whether it’s Vietnam or any other war – we think of it as a unitary subject … but there are millions of Vietnam Wars.”
To commemorate the anniversary of the Vietnam War, the Veterans History Project will be highlighting a series of collections from this era. They are but a few of the “millions of Vietnam Wars” embodied by the stories of Vietnam veterans. These interviews represent a wide variety of branches, service locations, and military roles; collectively, they illuminate the dramatic—and ongoing—effects of the war on those who participated.