'Thank a Vietnam veteran'

“Join the nation – thank a Vietnam veteran:” It’s the mantra for the March 29 Vietnam War Veterans Day celebrations taking place nationwide, as well as for the celebration being held in Beaumont. The holiday, in honor of those who served during the Vietnam War, was a long time coming, according to the Vietnam War Commemoration group that now helps facilitate the warm welcome Vietnam veterans were not afforded when the war ended in 1973.

Despite the war being officially over for 40 years, Vietnam War Veterans Day is a relatively new holiday. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act wasn’t passed until the president signed in into law in 2017, adding the special day to six other military-centric annual observances: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, Navy Day, and Veterans Day.

According to the commemoration group leading the Vietnam War Veterans Day commemoration rally, March 29 is a fitting choice for a day honoring Vietnam veterans.

“It was chosen to be observed in perpetuity as March 29, 1973, was the day United States Military Assistance Command/Vietnam was disestablished and also the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam,” the group proffers. “In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that there are more than 6 million U.S. Vietnam veterans currently living in America and abroad, along with 9 million families of those who served during the war’s timeframe.

As described by the Vietnam commemoration group, U.S. involvement in Vietnam started slowly with an initial deployment of advisors in the early 1950s, grew incrementally through the early 1960s and expanded with the deployment of full combat units in July 1965.  The last U.S. personnel were evacuated from Vietnam in April 1975.

When adopting Vietnam War Veterans Day as a national holiday, Congress outlined a total of five objectives, the primary being that of thanking and honoring Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the nation, with distinct recognition for former prisoners of war and families of those still listed as missing in action. Additional objectives include highlighting the service of U.S. Armed Forces and support organizations during the war; paying tribute to wartime contributions at home by American citizens; highlighting technology, science and medical advances made during the war; and recognizing contributions by American allies.

In Southeast Texas, attend a live commemoration event March 29 inside the Ben Rogers Theatre of the Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Center, 5055 Interstate 10 Access Road in Beaumont, beginning at 11 a.m.

The program will recognize all Vietnam veterans, feature patriotic music and a proclamation from the city of Beaumont will be presented by Mayor Robin Mouton. Guest speaker Dennis Blessing, a 1965 Forest Park High School graduate, served in the Army from 1967-1970 and the Navy in 1968-1969, S5. He served in the 44th Medical Brigade, 12th Evacuation Hospital in CuChi, Republic of Vietnam as a Surgical Specialist and earned the Army Commendation Medal. Blessing retired from a career as a physician assistant and college professor in 2015 and spends his time fishing, enjoying life and fellowshipping with his Vietnam veterans.

Those wishing to commemorate the holiday with others online are invited to the virtual program being held March 29 at 12 p.m. by logging on to www.honorvietnamveterans.org.