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As we approach a solemn and reflective holiday this Monday, May 30, I ask that we offer special consideration to our Vietnam casualties and those veterans who returned from that terrible conflict which claimed over 58,000 American lives.
As a teenager in the ‘60s and one who regularly watched network news reports with my parents, I can close my eyes and still see the footage of many, many soldiers’ bodies lying in the fields and jungles of Vietnam. Brave photojournalists at that time were expected to provide the footage and the networks – much to the chagrin of the government – were expected to air that footage.
On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is inscribed the names of 58,281 American casualties. It is a memorial to those young Americans and a chilling reminder of a conflict that should never have been undertaken, in my viewpoint. Among those names are classmates of mine, some of whom volunteered but several who were drafted as well. Of those 58,281 there were 1,534 from Indiana, and currently 1,244 American soldiers remain missing. Most of the casualties occurred in 1968, the same year I graduated from high school. That number was 16,899.
According to the American War Library, as of Feb. 28, 2019, over 610,000 Vietnam veterans are still living. They range in age from 97 years of age to 55, with the median age of 68 years. Keep in mind that the War began on Nov. 1, 1955 and ended April 30, 1975. (Statistics gathered from the National Archives.)
Mark your calendars for May 11-13, 2023, in Washington, D.C., as large-scale events on the National Mall, including ceremonies, exhibits and an outdoor multimedia celebration – all designed to honor Vietnam veterans and their enduring legacy of service will take place. Additional details will be available soon on the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration website and social media platforms.
In the meantime, please take an extra moment when you see a Vietnam veteran – many of whom wear a special baseball-type cap noting their service – to thank them for their service and for the sacrifice of their brothers in arms.
The Horseshoe Prairie Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, strives to acknowledge and thank these veterans who were not welcomed home as they should have been and have struggled through years of ambivalence and ignorance from fellow citizens who may not understand that these brave young Americans merely stepped up to the call of duty from their government.
In addition to those who served physically in Vietnam, many military personnel around the world during that conflict are also honored for their contributions and support to their fellow service men and women.
The Horseshoe Prairie Chapter will host a Vietnam Veterans breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at the Noblesville Township Community Building in Noblesville.
Americans are, sadly, divided in many issues, but I hope that this is one in which we can all agree: Show respect, honor, and gratitude for all our military personnel and a special nod to our Vietnam veterans.
Sharon McMahon
Past Regent/Historian
Horseshoe Prairie Chapter, NSDAR
Thank you Sharon for your sincere and thoughtful support for Vietnam Veterans who served during the Vietnam War. I agree with your stance, “that should never have been undertaken”.
What is so conspicuous to our Vietnam veterans was how they were badly treated when they came home to the Liberal protests of their deferred draft college peers and the employers who mocked them as they denied them employment because the vets were “baby killers”.
Shame on anyone who denied these vets full respect they deserved as any other veteran of previous wars!