Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Today is Vietnam Veterans Day

Schwabo Loc: Florida

Thank you to all that served, none of you ever got enough thank's and pay.

busted_shutter

Dad served 2 tours. Thanks to all who gave.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/29/presidential-proclamation-vietnam-veterans-day

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Thank you, it really means a lot !

emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

A salute to all that served.

chansond'orphee Loc: Arlington, Texas

A thousand times " Thank You " from a Vietnamese soldier who fought side by side with you for over ten years. You never died in our spirit. God is with you forever.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

So, now, we have a day of our own!
Actually I was pretty much content with Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. But if some feel better having a day just for us I totally understand that.

US Army
Camp Granite, Qui Nhon, Binh Dinh Province, RVN - Dec 1966 to Jan 1969

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

And exactly who declared this to be Viet Nam Veterans Day? It certainly isn't an official holiday, or it wouldn't be on a Sunday. Why do veterans of that war get a special day when the Defense Department won't give permission for cities to hold parades for returning Iraq/Iran war vets? A soldier is a soldier, regardless of whether he served in the jungles of Viet Nam or the deserts of the Middle East. There already is a Veteran's Day to honor all veterans, and Memorial Day to honor fallen heroes, so I don't see the justification for this made up day.

I know I'm gonna get blasted for posting this, so go ahead.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I don't think the Defense Department or any other government entity is needed to give permission, or can withhold permission, for any city or state to honor Veterans.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

President Obama issued a declaration in 2012, busted shutter posted a link to it up above.
The DOD can't forbid parades to honor returning vets, only refuse to let active duty units take part. Nat. Guard units can, they are controled by the states unless called to active duty.
As to why a special one for Vietnam, in part to make up for the fact that nothing was done at the time and many (anti-war & mostly left wing) treated veterans like crap at the time. Many have tried to make up for it over the years since.
The action by President Obama probably also had a lot of politics involved since those of us who are veterans of that period are now at the age where we are at the top of our professions or in elected office with a lot of senority (power) and it doesn't hurt to get some good will from people like that.

I didn't see much of the bad treatment since I avoided the left wing political rallies and went to Cal State University Los Angeles. We had the protestors, but they kept relatively quiet and polite. 25% of the student body in the early 70s were Vietnam vets so we actually outnumbered them on campus by a pretty large margin.

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

If you read the proclamation, Obama declared only a single day - March 29th, 2012 - as Viet Nam Veterans Day. It is not a yearly event like the day in November, just a single day three years ago. So today is NOT Viet Nam Veterans Day. Sorry to be the proverbial turd in the punch bowl (although many on this forum think of me as just a regular turd), but today is just a regular day, folks. Now move along, nothing to see here.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Sour grapes.

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

Wha a stupid response. I just don't se why Viet Nam vets should get any more or less recognition than any other vets. They served their country just like WWll or Korean War or Gulf War vets, so why should they be singled out for recognition? Sour grapes has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I didn't experience much abuse from the anti-war people either, maybe because most of my uniformed travel was to my hometown of Pittsburgh which is/was a blue collar town. What grief I did get was after I got out of the Navy when I joined the Vets Club in Glenfield, Pa. The older Vets had a low opinion of the Vietnam Vets because we were the first "to lose a war" and they didn't hesitate to make their feelings known.

emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

Here are thousands of reasons to honor Vietnam Veterans whenever we want.

United States Vietnam War Casualties:
58,303 KIA or non-combat deaths (including the missing & deaths in captivity)[50][51]
153,303 WIA[52]
1,629 MIA (originally 2,646)[53]
766–778 POW