Event set Tuesday for National Vietnam War Veterans Day
In recognition of National Vietnam War Veterans Day, an event will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Garland County Veterans Memorial and Military Park, 118 Orange St., honoring anyone who served during the 20-year span of the war.
Sponsored by the Garland County Veterans Memorial Committee, the “day of commemoration,” held annually on March 29, will include tribute music, speakers, and a memento for those veterans, their spouses or family who attend, a news release said.
The keynote speaker will be United States Marine Corps Master Sgt. Joe Burke, a Hot Springs native and former teacher in Pine Bluff, Caddo Gap, Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton.
“The purpose is to thank and honor all veterans and their families who served from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, with distinct recognition of former POWs and families of those listed as MIA,” it said.
Recognition is also given for wartime contributions of those on the homefront and the allies of the United States, including Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Thailand, the release said.
In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day, according to the Department of Defense website.
“The signing of the proclamation marked the 50th anniversary of the departure of the last American troops from Vietnam — March 29, 1973. Only U.S. embassy personnel and support staff remained in South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975,” the website says.
“The Vietnam War is a story of service members of different backgrounds, colors and creeds who came together to complete a daunting mission,” the proclamation said. “It is a story of Americans from every corner of our nation who left the warmth of family to serve the country they loved. It is a story of patriots who braved the line of fire, who cast themselves into harm’s way to save a friend, who fought hour after hour, day after day to preserve the liberties we hold dear.”
More than 58,000 Americans were killed and many thousands more were wounded and injured or determined to be missing, according to the DOD website.
The proclamation also said, “In one of the war’s most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected — to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example. We must never let this happen again.”
On March 28, 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, which named March 29 National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The bill amended the U.S. flag code to include National Vietnam War Veterans Day as a day on which the flag should be flown, the website said.
“We realize this is a Tuesday, however, this is the date designated for the commemoration. So we hope everyone will come and help us pay tribute to the men and women who served our country during the Vietnam War,” the news release about the local event said.
In the event of rain, the participants will try to move to the Hot Springs Farmers and Artisans Market pavilion, 121 Orange, across the street from the memorial.