For many, March 29 is just another day on the calendar. However, for those who served in Vietnam and their families and friends, the day has much more meaning.
March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It is a day to honor and show appreciation to the 2.7 million members of our military who served in Vietnam. It is also a time to pay tribute to the over 58,000 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country whose names are chiseled into a black granite wall in our nation’s capital.
Finally, on this day, we should not forget the 1,243 others who never returned to American soil and remain listed as missing in action (MIA). For the family and friends of those soldiers, the unknown nature of their fate remains an open wound.
March 29 was chosen to honor these veterans because it was on that day in 1973 when the last American soldiers departed Vietnam. It was the end of American military involvement there, which began as early as the 1950s with a modest number of U.S. military advisers and grew to over 500,000 soldiers in 1968. March 29, 1973, also is the day North Vietnam released the last American POWs.
Don’t expect large parades or an outpouring of thanks on this day. Unfortunately, the lack of attention and appreciation isn’t unusual for Vietnam veterans. Unlike other wars, many of these veterans were not greeted by cheering crowds or even with a level of respect as others had when they returned from previous conflicts. Some faced hostile crowds who derided and jeered them. As the war went on, some soldiers began to shed their uniforms as soon as they reached U.S. soil to avoid ugly comments and treatment from fellow Americans. Many of these veterans rarely, if ever, spoke of their service in Vietnam, whether out of a desire to forget some of the horrors they experienced or out of a concern about how some may view their service there.
P olls show that many younger people know little about the war. Many youth cannot even point out Vietnam on a world map. To some extent, this reflects how our society views a painful and troubling period in our history that split our nation, families and friends. The Vietnam War receives little attention in many classrooms, and some teachers struggle to explain the war. Unlike World War II, which was deemed by some as the “Good War” because it was viewed as a clear-cut conflict between good and evil, Vietnam was a murkier affair from the beginning, and as time went on, it became even more so.
The Vietnam War challenged the notion that our country and military were invincible. It also colored our views of our nation’s leaders. Before the war, Americans had greater belief in our government and trusted our leaders would never be dishonest with us. As the war went on and the public realized that many of the glowing reports delivered by senior military officials and the president didn’t sync with the stories of soldiers returning from Vietnam or images appearing on the nightly news, the public began to question our leaders. A new phrase, “credibility gap, ” emerged to describe the lack of trust between what government leaders said and what was actually occurring.
No matter how one feels about the Vietnam War, the veterans who served there deserve our respect and a great debt of gratitude. They bravely served out of a sense of duty and loyalty to their country, with 250 soldiers being awarded the Medal of Honor for their acts of valor.
While the war ended over 50 years ago, the trauma of this conflict continues to this day for some. An estimated 9% of Vietnam veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suffering flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety associated with their war experiences. At the outset of the war, the military and society had little understanding of the condition or how to treat it. In fact PTSD was not even officially recognized until 1980. While treatment has improved for PTSD, these soldiers will remain casualties of that war until the end of their lives.
Many of the remaining Vietnam veterans are now in their 70s and 80s. Because of the confused view of the war and the interest of many in forgetting this chapter of our history, their road has been more difficult than others. While many did not receive recognition or appreciation for their service when they returned, it is not too late to do so. Take time today to thank a veteran, contribute to a cause that supports them or volunteer to help at one of the organizations assisting them. These veterans were there for us when their nation called upon them; now we should be there for them.
Greg Fulton is a New Castle native living in Denver.