March 29 marks the second anniversary of the creation of National Vietnam War Veterans Day — a date that was officially signed into law by President Trump on March 28, 2017, by way of the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017.

The Significance of March 29

March 29 is significant to the Vietnam War, as it marks the date on which the last U.S. combat troops — including the POWs who were being held in North Vietnam — were withdrawn from the Southeast Asia Theater and returned to American soil in 1973. Officially, March 29, 1973, is the day the Military Assistance Command Vietnam was deactivated.

591 American prisoners of war, including late U.S. Senator and presidential candidate John McCain, were released by North Vietnam in an effort, which became known as Operation Homecoming.

The end of the Vietnam War formally came to an end in the spring of 1975, following the Fall of Saigon. It signaled the end of 20 years of fighting and the loss of more than 58,000 American lives. 304,000 of the 2.7 million American men and women were injured, resulting in a casualty rating that equates to one out of 10 service members being killed or hurt during combat.

Because the conflict spanned several decades, the commemoration of 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War has been in effect since May 28, 2012, when it was inaugurated by President Obama at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Meaning of National Vietnam War Veterans Day

The 1960s and '70s were turbulent years across the globe. Here at home, the unrest was a very clear reality, as civil rights protesters and anti-war advocates took to the streets across the country. While many service members were part of the armed forces voluntarily during that time, many were also sent to war by means of the draft.

Public opinion was generally not supportive of the sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines who fought on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War, and the homecomings of those who were on the front lines of the battlefield were often characterized by unkind words and actions that branded the entire era with a feeling that public support of the military's efforts didn't exist.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is intended to change all of this. It gives veterans the opportunity to be recognized as contributors to history — those who were charged with a tremendous amount of responsibility in an incredibly trepidatious environment. It also gives the general public the chance to understand a war that had many more casualties than those which were recorded on the battlefield.

PBS quotes President Richard Nixon as stating, "No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so much. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic."

National Vietnam War Veterans Day 2019

Organizations and governmental entities across the country recognize National Vietnam Veterans Day in different ways. In fact, state-level legislation has commemorated the brave men and women who were denied a proper welcome when they returned home from Vietnam for several years.

While there is some discrepancy of the dates on which states honor our nation's Vietnam veterans, the message has always been the same: to recognize the sacrifices of those who served in a conflict that wasn't met with positive public opinion.

This year, remembrance events will be held across the country, including the following: