March 23, 2025 • 11 mins
Date: March 23, 2025
Sources Reviewed:
- "50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Commemoration | Vietnam War Commemoration"
- "In Country: Stories from the Vietnam War | Vietnam War (1961-1975) | Serving: Our Voices | Veterans History Project Collection | Digital Collections | Library of Congress"
- "NHHC" (Naval History and Heritage Command website)
- "National Vietnam War Veterans Day 2025 in the United States" (timeanddate.com)
- "VA News and Information"
- "VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs"
- "Veterans Return Home | Oklahoma Historical Society"
- "Vietnam War 50th Year Commemoration | The United States Army"
- "Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When They Returned? | HISTORY"
Executive Summary:
This briefing document synthesizes information from multiple sources regarding the commemoration of the Vietnam War and the ongoing recognition of its veterans. Key themes include the historical context of the war and its impact, the often-negative reception Vietnam veterans initially faced upon returning home, the establishment and significance of National Vietnam War Veterans Day (March 29th), and the current efforts by various organizations, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to honor and thank these veterans and their families. The 50th anniversary commemoration, launched in 2012 and continuing through Veterans Day 2025, serves as a focal point for these efforts.
Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:
1. The Vietnam War: A Divisive Conflict and its Lasting Impact:
- The Vietnam War (roughly 1955-1975 for the US involvement) was a prolonged and complex conflict with significant human cost in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The US involvement escalated in the 1960s during the Cold War, driven by fears of communist expansion.
- The war became increasingly unpopular in the United States, dividing American society. As the Oklahoma Historical Society notes, "The Vietnam War divided American society. Those who served were often treated as traitors instead of heroes, and found it difficult to adjust to life back home."
- The "In Country: Stories from the Vietnam War" collection by the Library of Congress highlights the diverse and often difficult experiences of the 2.7 million Americans who served in Vietnam, recalling the "visceral experience of the places in which they spent their tours of duty, vividly recalling the sights, sounds, and smells of Vietnam a half-century after coming home." These personal narratives underscore the individual human impact of the war.
2. The Negative Reception of Returning Vietnam Veterans:
- Unlike veterans of previous wars, Vietnam veterans often did not receive a warm welcome home. As HISTORY states, "American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular."
- Several factors contributed to this, including the lack of clear victory, the divisiveness of the war, and a desire by some Americans to forget the conflict. Jerry Lembke, a Vietnam veteran and sociologist, explains, "Vietnam was a lost war, and it was the first major lost war abroad in American history. You don’t have parades for soldiers coming home from a war they lost."
- Veterans like Steven A. Wowwk recounted instances of direct hostility: "I remember feeling like, what could I do to acknowledge them, and I just gave the peace signal... And instead of getting return peace fingers, I got the middle finger."
- The lack of adequate GI benefits and institutional indifference further c
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wow, you know, going through all this material for
this deep dive on the 50thanniversary of the Vietnam War,
I mean, it's, it's a lot.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It is, it really is.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
There are official documents, personal stories from
the Library of Congress, likethese oral histories, historical
society pages, news articles,and I mean it's all so powerful.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, and so much of it focuses on you know what it
was like for those who servedcoming home.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
And then you have all this material on how the
nation's trying to remember andhonor the war, and I think you
know looking at both thosethings together is really
interesting.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yeah, so how about we start with the official
commemoration efforts?
So this whole thing, it wasn'tjust, you know, a one-off kind
of thing.
I mean, congress actuallyauthorized it way back in 2012.
And then President Obama, youknow, he officially launched it.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Right and the purpose was to thank and honor Vietnam
veterans and their families.
You know for their service andtheir sacrifices and it's been
going sustained national focuson the Vietnam War.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
And it's not over yet .
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Not until Veterans Day 2025.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Okay.
So I have a question why March29th?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, that date was chosen for National Vietnam War
Veterans Day because it was theday in 1973 when the last US
combat troops left Vietnam.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Oh OK.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
And it also happened to be around the same time that
Hanoi released the last knownprisoners of war.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I see.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
So it symbolizes kind of the end of US involvement in
the war.
And then, of course, the returnof those who had been held
captive, exactly, and then, ofcourse, the return of those who
had been held captive Exactly,and President Trump actually
signed the Vietnam War VeteransRecognition Acts in 2017, which
officially designated March 29thas National Vietnam War
Veterans Day every year.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
So it's like a permanent reminder.
Now it is.
Veterans have been honoredduring this whole commemoration
period.
It sounds like they've done alot Like, for example, over 3
million veterans have beenpublicly thanked at over 21,000
ceremonies.
That's just amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, and they've also been giving out these
Vietnam veteran lapel pins.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Oh yeah, I've seen those.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
The interesting thing is that any living US veteran
who served on active dutybetween November 1st 1955 and
May 15th 1975 is eligible to getone.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Really so it doesn't matter where they served.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It doesn't matter where they served Wow, which I
think is really noteworthy.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
And, you know, for veterans who can't make it to a
ceremony for whatever reason,they can actually request a pin
online.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh, that's nice so it's very inclusive.
So inclusive.
So I know that a lot of theevents and stuff are going to be
winding down soon.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Yeah, the commemoration will be ending its
major event support on March31st 2025.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Okay, but they will still be taking speaking
requests.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
They will, but it's going to be first come, first
served.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oh, okay, so, but it's going to be first come,
first served.
Oh, ok, so.
It sounds like things areshifting a little bit as we get
closer to the end of thecommemoration period, but it's
not like they're just going tocompletely stop everything.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Right, I mean, there are some things that will
continue.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Right, and I mean there are some really cool
things that they've done Right,like the Welcome Home Honor
concert was nominated for anEmmy.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
It was.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Which is pretty cool and anyone can download it if
they want to watch it, which isnice.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, and it's not just the government doing all
this, is it?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
no, not at all I mean there are tons of commemorative
partners involved like theAtlanta Vietnam Veterans
Business Association right andthere are collaborations with
other organizations like the DAR.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know the Daughters of the American
Revolution so these partners areactually going out there and
you know, presenting the lapelpins and making sure that
veterans hear that welcome home,that maybe they didn't get back
in the day Exactly.
That's really special, it is.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
And it's happening at a local level too, Like the DR
has all these local chaptersacross the country and they're
actually partnering with localchapters of the Vietnam Veterans
of America.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And they're presenting them with this.
You know, honorary partnerrecognition.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And then they're actually going out and
personally giving veterans thoselapel pins with a welcome home.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I love that.
I love that.
So of course there's theNational Joint Reflaying
Ceremony at the Vietnam VeteransMemorial in DC.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Right Every year on March 29th.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Very powerful, but, like you said, there's all this
stuff happening at the locallevel too.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
That event at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And then all the ceremonies that are happening at
VA facilities around thecountry.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Even President Biden posted something on X, you know,
about honoring Vietnam veterans.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
It's really happening on all these different levels,
from very formal ceremonies tocommunity events, and even you
know things online.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
And then we can't forget about the work of the
Defense POW and IAA AccountingAgency you know the DPAA,
they're still working toidentify missing US service
members from past conflicts.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Including the Vietnam War.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Including the Vietnam War.
Wow, and last year theyactually announced several new
identifications.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Which I think you know, brings at least some
measure of closure to thosefamilies.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Absolutely, and it's a reminder that the war, you
know its legacy, continues.
That the war, you know itslegacy continues.
But you know, speaking of allthese efforts to honor veterans,
it's really striking howdifferent it was when they came
home.
I mean, the sources we havehere, they really highlight this
lack of welcome.
You know, the ceremonies thatveterans of other wars got just
(05:36):
weren't there.
It seems like a lot of peoplejust wanted to forget about the
whole thing.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
It's really quite a contrast with the way veterans
of World War II were greeted.
You know they came home toparades and celebrations and you
know a lot of Vietnam veteransfaced indifference or even
hostility.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Really.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, I mean there are documented instances of
people you know yelling at themor making obscene gestures.
I can't even imagine it reallyshows how divided the country
was, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
And how much anger there was surrounding the war.
Yeah, the sources actually havesome pretty disturbing examples
of this.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It was a really difficult time.
And then there's the fact thata lot of Vietnam veterans came
home individually after theirtours.
You know they weren't cominghome in large units like in
World War II.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So there weren't these huge welcome home events.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I see, so they were kind of coming back to this.
You know the silence, or evenworse.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Exactly, and the fact that the war was so unpopular,
you know, and seen as a loss, Ithink that really contributed to
the negative reception.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Some veterans felt like they were being blamed for
the war.
You know.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And they hadn't even started it.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Exactly.
That's a lot to carry on yourshoulders when you're trying to
readjust to civilian life.
And then there were the GI Billbenefits.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, they were really lacking compared to
previous wars, weren't they?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Yeah, A lot of veterans had trouble accessing
health care and, you know,getting back on their feet
financially which, you know,just made the whole transition
even harder.
Exactly.
It's like they were coming homefrom this traumatic experience
to a society that just wasn'tprepared to help them.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And that probably contributed to that stereotype
of the you know broken Vietnamveteran.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It definitely played a role, yeah, which you know,
unfortunately just added to thestigma, but thankfully things
started to change.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
It seems like the dedication of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in 1982 was areal turning point.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, it created this space for the nation to start
to, you know, really acknowledgethe sacrifices that were made.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And then after that, you know the Gulf War.
It was a whole different story.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, people were a lot more supportive of the
troops.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Thank goodness.
But like you said earlier, youknow, even though now we hear
thank you for your service allthe time, it's not always enough
.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Right?
Some veterans have pointed outthat you know, even though now
we hear thank you for yourservice all the time, it's not
always enough, right?
Some veterans have pointed outthat you know words are
important, but there needs to beaction too, Like what kind of?
Action Like making sure thatveterans have access to quality
health care, mental healthservices and, you know, job
opportunities.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
So really supporting them in concrete ways.
Ok, so let's talk about thefuture.
March 29th 2025, that's goingto be National Vietnam War
Veterans Day and the last of the50th anniversary commemoration
events.
It sounds like there are goingto be events all over the
country.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC will be
a big one.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Of course.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And then there will be events at VA medical
facilities and militarycemeteries.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And they've created a special poster for the 2025
National Vietnam War VeteransDay.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Oh cool.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
And the Naval History and Heritage Command actually
has all these commemorationtoolkits and resources online.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So if people want to participate or learn more,
Exactly so.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
as we're wrapping up this deep dive, it's clear that
the 50th anniversarycommemoration has been this, you
know, this huge effort to honorand thank those who served
during the Vietnam War.
It was a really complicated anddivisive time in our history.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
It was, and we've learned so much about the war
itself, and you know thechallenges that veterans faced
when they came home.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And I think the big takeaway is that, you know, the
experience of individualveterans was often very
different from the way the warwas being remembered and
commemorated on a national leveland National Vietnam War
Veterans Day on March 29th it'sreally an opportunity for the
nation to, you know,collectively offer that welcome
home that so many veteransdidn't get.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
To acknowledge their service and sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So I don't know about you, but I feel like I've had a
lot of those aha moments, youknow, during this deep dive,
like realizing you know just howcomplicated this whole period
was and why it took so long forVietnam veterans to get the
recognition they deserved.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right and the sources you provided.
They really helped to paint amuch more complete picture than
you could ever get from just youknow, reading a news article or
something.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Especially those personal stories from veterans.
So what's the thing that'sreally sticking with you?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I think.
For me it's the resilience ofthe veterans themselves.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You know, and the fact that, even though it took
way too long, attitudes towardsthem have really changed.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Couch glue.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
It shows how important historical memory is.
You know and learning from thepast.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Right, so here, important historical memory is
you know, and learning from thepast, right?
So here's something foreveryone listening to think
about.
You know, we've seen how theway we welcome home our veterans
has evolved through the betterfor the better.
Yeah, definitely.
But what are ourresponsibilities as a society?
To make sure that all veterans,no matter what conflict they
served in, you know, get therecognition and support they
(10:24):
deserve, not just in words but,you know, in actions.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
That's a great question, especially as we come
to the end of this official 50thanniversary commemoration.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
And, I think, those personal stories that we've been
reading and hearing you know,they really make you think about
what you can do in your owncommunity to support Vietnam
veterans.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Absolutely what you can do in your own community to
support Vietnam veterans,absolutely, because their
experiences, you know, and theirservice, they continue to shape
our nation.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
In ways that we're still learning about.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
So thank you all for listening.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Thank you.
Wow, you know, going through all this material for
this deep dive on the 50thanniversary of the Vietnam War,
I mean, it's, it's a lot.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It is, it really is.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
There are official documents, personal stories from
the Library of Congress, likethese oral histories, historical
society pages, news articles,and I mean it's all so powerful.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, and so much of it focuses on you know what it
was like for those who servedcoming home.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
And then you have all this material on how the
nation's trying to remember andhonor the war, and I think you
know looking at both thosethings together is really
interesting.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yeah, so how about we start with the official
commemoration efforts?
So this whole thing, it wasn'tjust, you know, a one-off kind
of thing.
I mean, congress actuallyauthorized it way back in 2012.
And then President Obama, youknow, he officially launched it.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Right and the purpose was to thank and honor Vietnam
veterans and their families.
You know for their service andtheir sacrifices and it's been
going sustained national focuson the Vietnam War.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
And it's not over yet .
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Not until Veterans Day 2025.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Okay.
So I have a question why March29th?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, that date was chosen for National Vietnam War
Veterans Day because it was theday in 1973 when the last US
combat troops left Vietnam.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Oh OK.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
And it also happened to be around the same time that
Hanoi released the last knownprisoners of war.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I see.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
So it symbolizes kind of the end of US involvement in
the war.
And then, of course, the returnof those who had been held
captive, exactly, and then, ofcourse, the return of those who
had been held captive Exactly,and President Trump actually
signed the Vietnam War VeteransRecognition Acts in 2017, which
officially designated March 29thas National Vietnam War
Veterans Day every year.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
So it's like a permanent reminder.
Now it is.
Veterans have been honoredduring this whole commemoration
period.
It sounds like they've done alot Like, for example, over 3
million veterans have beenpublicly thanked at over 21,000
ceremonies.
That's just amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, and they've also been giving out these
Vietnam veteran lapel pins.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Oh yeah, I've seen those.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
The interesting thing is that any living US veteran
who served on active dutybetween November 1st 1955 and
May 15th 1975 is eligible to getone.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Really so it doesn't matter where they served.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It doesn't matter where they served Wow, which I
think is really noteworthy.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
And, you know, for veterans who can't make it to a
ceremony for whatever reason,they can actually request a pin
online.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh, that's nice so it's very inclusive.
So inclusive.
So I know that a lot of theevents and stuff are going to be
winding down soon.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Yeah, the commemoration will be ending its
major event support on March31st 2025.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Okay, but they will still be taking speaking
requests.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
They will, but it's going to be first come, first
served.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oh, okay, so, but it's going to be first come,
first served.
Oh, ok, so.
It sounds like things areshifting a little bit as we get
closer to the end of thecommemoration period, but it's
not like they're just going tocompletely stop everything.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Right, I mean, there are some things that will
continue.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Right, and I mean there are some really cool
things that they've done Right,like the Welcome Home Honor
concert was nominated for anEmmy.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
It was.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Which is pretty cool and anyone can download it if
they want to watch it, which isnice.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, and it's not just the government doing all
this, is it?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
no, not at all I mean there are tons of commemorative
partners involved like theAtlanta Vietnam Veterans
Business Association right andthere are collaborations with
other organizations like the DAR.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know the Daughters of the American
Revolution so these partners areactually going out there and
you know, presenting the lapelpins and making sure that
veterans hear that welcome home,that maybe they didn't get back
in the day Exactly.
That's really special, it is.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
And it's happening at a local level too, Like the DR
has all these local chaptersacross the country and they're
actually partnering with localchapters of the Vietnam Veterans
of America.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And they're presenting them with this.
You know, honorary partnerrecognition.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And then they're actually going out and
personally giving veterans thoselapel pins with a welcome home.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I love that.
I love that.
So of course there's theNational Joint Reflaying
Ceremony at the Vietnam VeteransMemorial in DC.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Right Every year on March 29th.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Very powerful, but, like you said, there's all this
stuff happening at the locallevel too.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
That event at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And then all the ceremonies that are happening at
VA facilities around thecountry.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Even President Biden posted something on X, you know,
about honoring Vietnam veterans.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
It's really happening on all these different levels,
from very formal ceremonies tocommunity events, and even you
know things online.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
And then we can't forget about the work of the
Defense POW and IAA AccountingAgency you know the DPAA,
they're still working toidentify missing US service
members from past conflicts.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Including the Vietnam War.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Including the Vietnam War.
Wow, and last year theyactually announced several new
identifications.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Which I think you know, brings at least some
measure of closure to thosefamilies.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Absolutely, and it's a reminder that the war, you
know its legacy, continues.
That the war, you know itslegacy continues.
But you know, speaking of allthese efforts to honor veterans,
it's really striking howdifferent it was when they came
home.
I mean, the sources we havehere, they really highlight this
lack of welcome.
You know, the ceremonies thatveterans of other wars got just
(05:36):
weren't there.
It seems like a lot of peoplejust wanted to forget about the
whole thing.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
It's really quite a contrast with the way veterans
of World War II were greeted.
You know they came home toparades and celebrations and you
know a lot of Vietnam veteransfaced indifference or even
hostility.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Really.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, I mean there are documented instances of
people you know yelling at themor making obscene gestures.
I can't even imagine it reallyshows how divided the country
was, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
And how much anger there was surrounding the war.
Yeah, the sources actually havesome pretty disturbing examples
of this.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It was a really difficult time.
And then there's the fact thata lot of Vietnam veterans came
home individually after theirtours.
You know they weren't cominghome in large units like in
World War II.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
So there weren't these huge welcome home events.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I see, so they were kind of coming back to this.
You know the silence, or evenworse.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Exactly, and the fact that the war was so unpopular,
you know, and seen as a loss, Ithink that really contributed to
the negative reception.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Right.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Some veterans felt like they were being blamed for
the war.
You know.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And they hadn't even started it.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Exactly.
That's a lot to carry on yourshoulders when you're trying to
readjust to civilian life.
And then there were the GI Billbenefits.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yeah, they were really lacking compared to
previous wars, weren't they?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Yeah, A lot of veterans had trouble accessing
health care and, you know,getting back on their feet
financially which, you know,just made the whole transition
even harder.
Exactly.
It's like they were coming homefrom this traumatic experience
to a society that just wasn'tprepared to help them.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And that probably contributed to that stereotype
of the you know broken Vietnamveteran.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It definitely played a role, yeah, which you know,
unfortunately just added to thestigma, but thankfully things
started to change.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
It seems like the dedication of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in 1982 was areal turning point.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, it created this space for the nation to start
to, you know, really acknowledgethe sacrifices that were made.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And then after that, you know the Gulf War.
It was a whole different story.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, people were a lot more supportive of the
troops.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Thank goodness.
But like you said earlier, youknow, even though now we hear
thank you for your service allthe time, it's not always enough
.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Right?
Some veterans have pointed outthat you know, even though now
we hear thank you for yourservice all the time, it's not
always enough, right?
Some veterans have pointed outthat you know words are
important, but there needs to beaction too, Like what kind of?
Action Like making sure thatveterans have access to quality
health care, mental healthservices and, you know, job
opportunities.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
So really supporting them in concrete ways.
Ok, so let's talk about thefuture.
March 29th 2025, that's goingto be National Vietnam War
Veterans Day and the last of the50th anniversary commemoration
events.
It sounds like there are goingto be events all over the
country.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC will be
a big one.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Of course.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And then there will be events at VA medical
facilities and militarycemeteries.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And they've created a special poster for the 2025
National Vietnam War VeteransDay.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Oh cool.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
And the Naval History and Heritage Command actually
has all these commemorationtoolkits and resources online.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So if people want to participate or learn more,
Exactly so.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
as we're wrapping up this deep dive, it's clear that
the 50th anniversarycommemoration has been this, you
know, this huge effort to honorand thank those who served
during the Vietnam War.
It was a really complicated anddivisive time in our history.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
It was, and we've learned so much about the war
itself, and you know thechallenges that veterans faced
when they came home.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And I think the big takeaway is that, you know, the
experience of individualveterans was often very
different from the way the warwas being remembered and
commemorated on a national leveland National Vietnam War
Veterans Day on March 29th it'sreally an opportunity for the
nation to, you know,collectively offer that welcome
home that so many veteransdidn't get.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
To acknowledge their service and sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So I don't know about you, but I feel like I've had a
lot of those aha moments, youknow, during this deep dive,
like realizing you know just howcomplicated this whole period
was and why it took so long forVietnam veterans to get the
recognition they deserved.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right and the sources you provided.
They really helped to paint amuch more complete picture than
you could ever get from just youknow, reading a news article or
something.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Especially those personal stories from veterans.
So what's the thing that'sreally sticking with you?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I think.
For me it's the resilience ofthe veterans themselves.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
You know, and the fact that, even though it took
way too long, attitudes towardsthem have really changed.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Couch glue.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
It shows how important historical memory is.
You know and learning from thepast.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Right, so here, important historical memory is
you know, and learning from thepast, right?
So here's something foreveryone listening to think
about.
You know, we've seen how theway we welcome home our veterans
has evolved through the betterfor the better.
Yeah, definitely.
But what are ourresponsibilities as a society?
To make sure that all veterans,no matter what conflict they
served in, you know, get therecognition and support they
(10:24):
deserve, not just in words but,you know, in actions.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
That's a great question, especially as we come
to the end of this official 50thanniversary commemoration.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
And, I think, those personal stories that we've been
reading and hearing you know,they really make you think about
what you can do in your owncommunity to support Vietnam
veterans.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Absolutely what you can do in your own community to
support Vietnam veterans,absolutely, because their
experiences, you know, and theirservice, they continue to shape
our nation.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
In ways that we're still learning about.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
So thank you all for listening.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Thank you.
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