sacrifice

March 29th is a day for Americans to remember and commemorate the service and sacrifices made by nearly three million service members who served in Vietnam. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the disestablishment of the United States Military Assistance Command in Vietnam, and the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. Our troops, many of them our fathers and grandfathers, came home from Vietnam but didn’t get the proper welcome they deserved. Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve had the opportunity to honor over 671 Vietnam Veterans through commemorative pinning ceremonies. While this welcome home is decades overdue, it’s never too late to say thank you to our veterans. During the war era, nine million active duty served. At one point, over three million were in Vietnam at the same time, which was more than any time during World War II. Today, there are still six million Vietnam veterans in America, and millions of families of those who served during the war. Our veterans and military families have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedoms. There are over 54,000 veterans in the State of South Dakota, and although I didn’t serve in the Armed Forces, I work to represent them every day in Congress. Meeting with veterans, hearing their stories, taking their concerns, and understanding their needs has given me a deeper understanding of the tremendous sacrifice that our servicemembers and their families, both past and present, have made to protect our freedoms. I’ll be hosting our first Vietnam veterans pinning ceremony of 2023 in April. If you served in the Vietnam War or have a family member who served, please fill out the form here so they can be recognized and properly honored.