March 29th is National Vietnam Veterans Day
March 29 – National Vietnam War Veterans Day – is dedicated to these heroes. You can honor them by watching the National Veterans Memorial and Museum’s Welcome Home Ceremony at 10 a.m. EDT. The keynote speaker will be Capt. J. Charles “Charlie” Plumb (USN, Ret.), a naval aviator who was shot down and held prisoner in Vietnam for six years. He’s legendary for his story “Who Packs Your Parachute?”
The 50th National Vietnam War Veterans Day is a national opportunity to share our appreciation for the sacrifices made by a generation of veterans. Thank you, Vietnam veterans, for your courage in war and service to our nation, both in and out of uniform.
Vietnam Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam veterans and their families and is part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home more than 40 years ago.
Vietnam Veterans Day—National Conference of State Legislatures
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, signed into law in 2017, designates March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Most states celebrate “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” on March 29 or 30 of each year. Though there is some debate, March 29 is generally viewed as a more appropriate date. On that day in 1973, the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam and the last prisoners of war held in North Vietnam arrived on American soil. It is also the date President Nixon chose for the first Vietnam Veterans Day in 1974.
The chart below contains enacted legislation and adopted resolutions from 48 states and Puerto Rico to recognize a Vietnam Veterans Day either annually or for a specific year. The Vietnam War Commemoration provides a list of Governor proclamations.
| State | Bill Number | Status | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2012 HJR 67/SJR 18 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Alaska | 2013 HB 67 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Arizona | 2014 SB 1312 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans’ Day. |
| Arkansas | 2018 HR 1016/SR 13 | Adopted | Designates March 29, 2018, as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| California | 2010 AB 1775 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Colorado | 2021 SB 24 | To Governor | Designates March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Connecticut | 2010 HB 5352 | Enacted | Directs the governor to proclaim March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Delaware | 2019 SCR 19 | Adopted | Recognizes March 29, 2019, as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. |
| 2010 HB 472 | Enacted | Designates March 30 as Vietnam Veterans Day to honor members of the United States Armed Forces who served in Vietnam. | |
| Florida | 2014 HR 9055 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30, 2014, as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Georgia | 2019 HR 848 | Adopted | Commends all Vietnam era and Vietnam War veterans and their families and the Vietnamese community in this state and commemorating the 50th honoring the National Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Hawaii | 2018 HR 223 | Adopted | Honors and recognizes the brave men and women who served our country during the Vietnam War. |
| Idaho | 2014 HCR 51 | Adopted | Encourages the people of Idaho to observe Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Iowa | 2012 HR 115 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30, 2012, as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Illinois | 2019 HJR 15 | Adopted | Designates Nov. 1, 2019, as Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. |
| Indiana | 2014 HCR 22 | Adopted | Urges the Governor to designate March 30 each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Kansas | 2014 HR 6067/SR 1805 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30, 2014, as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Kentucky | 2016 SB 178 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Louisiana | 2009 HCR 39 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Maine | 2011 HB 12 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day. |
| Maryland | 2015 HB 1118/SB 80 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Massachusetts | Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 6 §15MM | Enacted | Directs the governor to annually issue a proclamation setting apart March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Michigan | 2019 HB 4732 | Pending | Designates March 29 as Recognize Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Minnesota | 2009 HB 1400/ SB 1142 | Enacted | Designates June 13, 2009, as Honoring All Vietnam Era Veterans Day. |
| 2008 HB 2582 | Enacted | Designates March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. | |
| Mississippi | 2017 HB 976 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Missouri | 2012 HB 1128 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Montana | 2011 HB 255 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| New Hampshire | 2011 SB 398 | Enacted | Designates March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.. |
| New Jersey | 1991 AB 3327 | Enacted | Designates May 7 of each year as Vietnam Veterans’ Remembrance Day. |
| New Mexico | 2016 HM 88 | Adopted | Requests that the governor declares March 29, 2016, as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| New York | 2008 SB 6472 | Enacted | Designates March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| North Carolina | 2011 SB 959 | Adopted | Expresses support for the designation of an annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| North Dakota | 2009 SB 2192 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Ohio | 2011 SB 134 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Oklahoma | 1998 HB 2255 | Enacted | Designates the third Thursday of March of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Oregon | 2011 SB 74 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Pennsylvania | 2019 HR 170 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30, 2019, as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Rhode Island | 2011 HR 6012 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30th, 2011 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| South Carolina | 2018 HR 5127 | Adopted | Recognizes March 29, 2018, as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| 2006 HB 4313 | Enacted | Provides that the first Friday in May of each year is declared to be Vietnam Veterans Survivors’ and Remembrance Day in South Carolina. | |
| South Dakota | 2013 SB 83 | Enacted | Designates Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day as a working holiday. |
| Tennessee | 2008 SB 2643 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Texas | 2009 SB 1903 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Utah | 2014 HB 275 | Enacted | Designates March 29 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. |
| Vermont | 2011 HJR 31 | Adopted | Urges Congress to designate March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Virginia | 2010 HJR 136/SJR 42 | Adopted | Recognizes March 30 of each year as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| Washington | 2013 HB 1319 | Enacted | Designates a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. |
| West Virginia | 2012 HB 4493 | Enacted | Directs the governor to declare March 30 as a special memorial day to be known as Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day. |
| 2011 SCR 10 | Adopted | Designates March 30 of each year as West Virginia Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. | |
| Wisconsin | 2009 SB 76 | Enacted | Designates March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day to recognize the 1,239 Wisconsin armed forces members who are listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. |
| Wyoming | 2011 HB 177 | Enacted | Designates March 30 of each year as Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day. |
| Puerto Rico | 2009 SB 2035 | Enacted | Designates March 30th of each year as Vietnam Veterans’ Day in Puerto Rico. |
©Royal A. Brown III. All rights reserved.
Welcome Home to all my Vietnam vet brothers and sisters.
When I came home in late June, 1972 my Pan Am 747 flight was full of veterans in uniform and we landed in LAX international airport terminal. I had to move to domestic flight terminal about 1 mile away to catch a flight back to Orlando, FL.
While in transit I was accosted numerous times with verbal abuse but 1 idiot decided to take it a step further and get close enough to spit in my face, at which time he found himself on the floor. A nearby LAX police officer saw what happened, came over and told me to continue on to catch my flight and that “he’d take care of situation.” I remain forever grateful to this unknown officer.
In today’s upuside down world, I have to wonder if I would have been arrested ?