Letter: Vietnam Veterans Day is Sunday
March 26, 2020
To the editor:
This Sunday, March 29, is set aside as Vietnam Veterans Day in honor of all who served and those who sacrificed their life for the freedom we now have. So few Americans today appreciate what these young men and women went through. They did it without hesitation, giving up their time and dreams, their lives and families to protect the freedom we now have. We see them every day and walk on by, many without a "Thank You" and most without a "Hi."

I am a Vietnam vet and damn proud of it. We are now the old soldiers sitting in the American Legions or VFW posts telling war stories. WWI, WWII and Korean vets are slowly passing on and leaving us, the Vietnam vets, to carry on the tradition. Most of us do not want to share these memories. We carry wounds not seen with scars. We carry memories that burn deep and burn like fire. We are the veterans from a war no one liked. We suffered when no one cared.

The following is a poem I wrote today to honor my Vietnam vet comrades.
Vietnam Veterans Day
March 29th., 2020
You may not know me but I know you.
I am a Vietnam vet true to the red, white, and blue.
I breath freedom because I cared.
My children know freedom because I fought and shared.
You may not know me but I know you.
I carry wounds not seen with scars and memories not new.
I choke up when a flag passes by.
When I hear "Taps" I fall to my knees and cry.
I see you every day as you walk by.
I always shake your hand and say "Thank you and Hi"
You gave us your time and answered the call.
Some gave their life for us all.
The next time you walk by a Vietnam vet never giving it a thought,
Think of all that they did and all the battles they fought.
Please make sure to say, "Thank you" and be sincere.
Because they didn't give it a thought and did it without fear.
—Raphael "Rafe" Schaefer
Ferdinand

https://duboiscountyherald.com/b/vietnam-veterans-day-is-sunday

Kent Davis
Rear Admiral, (Retired), United States Navy


The Vietnam Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 established March 29 as the date for annual recognition of the nine million Americans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces from Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975.
“The troops who served in Vietnam persevered through some of the most brutal conditions ever faced by Americans in war,” Davis said in a statement. “The suffocating heat, the drenching rains, an enemy that could come out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly, some of the most intense urban combat in history, and battles for a single hill that could rage for weeks.”
More than 58,000 American service members lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000 were wounded. All U.S. troops were withdrawn from Vietnam by March 1973.


Here’s the full statement from Davis:
At a time when our nation is confronting a crisis not seen before in modern times, on Sunday, Americans will pause to remember and honor the men and women who served during another turbulent time in our nation’s history - the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 established National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and every year on March 29, the day is set aside to thank and honor the nation’s Vietnam Veterans and their families.


This special day recognizes U.S. Armed Forces personnel with active duty service between Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Nine million Americans served during that time, with an estimated 6.4 million living today.
The troops who served in Vietnam persevered through some of the most brutal conditions ever faced by Americans in war. The suffocating heat, the drenching rains, an enemy that could come out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly, some of the most intense urban combat in history, and battles for a single hill that could rage for weeks.
Some American service members served as ground troops in a combat capacity, some were miles offshore in Navy ships providing gunfire support, some were in the skies over Vietnam, while others provided necessary support roles.


As a nation, we have long celebrated the courage of our forces at Normandy and Iwo Jima, the Pusan Perimeter and Heartbreak Ridge. On March 29, we as Americans, are proud to speak of the Vietnam Veteran’s courage- at Hue, Khe Sanh, and Saigon, from Hamburger Hill to Rolling Thunder.

After many years of combat, all U.S. troops were withdrawn from Vietnam on March 30, 1973, under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, but at a heavy cost: More than 58,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces lost their lives and more than 300,000 were wounded.
This story of our Vietnam service members needs to be told. This day is another opportunity to say to our Vietnam Veterans what we should have been saying from the beginning: You did your job. You served with honor. You made us proud. You came home and you helped build the America that we love and cherish today.
On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, we thank the brave servicemen and women of this era for their honorable service.
Kent Davis
Rear Admiral, (Retired), United States Navy

https://www.al.com/news/2020/03/sunday-is-day-to-honor-americans-who-served-in-vietnam.html