Health & Fitness
Doylestown VFW to Mark "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day"
Ensuring that today's veterans receive a better welcome than those of the Vietnam era.
The local VFW in Doylestown will be honoring Vietnam veterans on Friday March 30, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 175 will be hosting a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Open House on Friday March 30th 2012 from 6PM – 9PM at the Morgan Stanley 4th Floor Office in the Wells Fargo Building at 4259 West Swamp Road (Rt 313) in Doylestown.
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Come and meet with other area Vietnam veterans. Learn about your benefits both federal and state as well as other PA legislation for veterans. The VFW Post Service Officer will be available to help you with any concerns.
Learn about Post 175 and what it means to belong to the VFW, as well as the benefits of membership. VFW Post 175 offers a free first year membership to all new members.
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Representatives from the Office of the Bucks County Director of Military Affairs, the local Congressional Veterans representative and the Pennsylvania State Representative office will also be available.
Refreshments will be served. Come for a short time or spend the entire evening with us. For further information, please visit vfwpost175.org or call 215-490-3203.
The Birth of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day
The United States became involved in Vietnam because it was believed that if South Vietnam fell to a communist government, communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia, also known as the “Domino Effect”. The US Armed Forces began serving in an advisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1961, and in 1965, ground combat troops were sent into Vietnam. On March 30, 1973, after many years of combat, all US combat troops withdrew. More than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their lives and more than 300,000 were wounded in Vietnam.
There was no real welcome home for these returning warriors until in 2011 when the U.S. Senate declared March 30 "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day." It was a unanimous resolution. North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the resolution. March 30 marks the anniversary of the day that combat and combat-support units withdrew completely from South Vietnam.
Burr stated that unlike other war veterans, those coming home from Vietnam were not greeted with gratitude. Instead, many were scapegoated for the unpopular war. “Our soldiers served honorably and bravely in Vietnam,” Burr said. “Unfortunately, they arrived home to a country in political turmoil, and never received the recognition they deserve. By setting March 30 aside as a day to focus on our Vietnam veterans, we can show our unified gratitude for their service and the sacrifices that these veterans made on our behalf.”
Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Thad Cochran (R-MS), James Inhofe (R-OK), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) co-sponsored the legislation.
On March 30, 1973, all U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. On March 30th, from this day forward, the Senate encourages Americans across the country to recognize Vietnam veterans for their sacrifice and demonstrate a warm welcome to these soldiers who returned from war to what was, at the time, politically divided country.
“This day also provides our nation with an important teaching moment. Never again should our men and women serving in the armed forces receive the same treatment as those returning from Vietnam,” said Senator Richard Burr.
