This bronze plaque was placed in the Craig County Courthouse in 2016 in honor of Craig County citizens who served in the military during the Vietnam conflict. It was a project of Craig Valley NSDAR.
Craig Valley is the local chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. They join with hundreds of other groups across the country to recognize National Vietnam War Veterans Day on Sunday, March 29.
This date was designated by a presidential proclamation in 2017 as a commemorative holiday to recognize the sacrifices made by veterans and their families during a troubling period of American history. On March 29, 1973, the last combat troops departed Vietnam. Additionally, March 29 was the day when the last acknowledged POWs were released by authorities in Hanoi.
An excerpt from President Trump’s announcement says, “To ensure the sacrifices of the nine million heroes who served during this difficult chapter of our country’s history are remembered for generations to come, I signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, designating March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Throughout this Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, and every March 29 thereafter, we will honor all those who answered our Nation’s call to duty.”
Vietnam War Veterans Day seeks to honor all U.S. Armed Forces personnel with active duty service between November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location or type of service. This includes nine million Americans who served in the military during that time, 6.2 million of whom are living today. It is estimated that 2.7 million Americans had some level of active duty in Vietnam, 304,000 were wounded, 1,253 are counted as Missing in Action and 2,500 Americans were Prisoners of War, or POWs.
Craig Valley NSDAR encourages local residents to fly their American Flag on Sunday, March 29.
Visit www.vietnamwar50th.com to learn more about the effort to recognize Vietnam veterans.
Submitted by Craig Valley NSDAR
