One of the objectives of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War is to thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war (POW), or listed as missing in action (MIA), for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans.
Speaking on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 788, and for the men and women who served during that conflict, I want to express our gratitude to members of this community for thanking us again and again for our service and supporting this generation of veterans.
There was a time when soldiers returning from Vietnam were advised to change into civilian clothes on their flights home so that they would not be confronted at airports by protesters carrying signs with anti-war slogans and called baby killers, psychos, drug addicts, and war mongers.
That was then. Today, our soldiers are welcomed home at airports across the country.
In 1978, the Vietnam Veterans of America was congressionally chartered and exclusively dedicated to Vietnam-era veterans and their families.
Our Special Programs include seeking full access to quality health care for veterans, identifying the full range of disabling injuries and illnesses incurred during military service, supporting the next generation of America’s war veterans, and serving our communities.