My take on Vietnam Veterans Day — Sunday, March 29

Saturday, I received an email from a member of a local military family — the reader, his brother and his father all served in Vietnam. I called him and asked him if he wanted me to publish his message as a letter to the editor. He said no, but he asked me if I would write something. I said I would.

Today, as the brave men and women serving in our military once again find themselves in harm’s way in a faraway land, I clearly remember Vietnam. It was the war of my generation.

I remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident that led us into the war. I remember the assassinations of John F. Kennedy (according to some conspiracy theorists he was killed because he wanted to pull out of Vietnam, and the CIA didn’t like it), Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, the rise and fall of Richard Nixon, the killing of students at Kent State and Jackson State. I remember the la Drang Valley, Da Nang, Khe Sanh, the Tet Offensive, the battle for Hue, the expansion of the war into Cambodia, the massive antiwar protests and the inevitable fall of Saigon. I remember it all.

It was a turbulent and fractured time. I was not drafted. I did not enlist. I did not serve. I don’t know that I would have been strong enough to endure it all. No kidding. Thankfully, I didn’t have to find out.

While I still don’t understand the alleged threat posed by what I considered an essentially peasant nation whose people didn’t really want us there, I have no heartburn or negative feelings about those who served — some enlisted, but most were drafted.

They were my friends before the war. They were my friends during the war. They were my friends after the war. We never had any issues between us in that regard, and most of the returning veterans took up an antiwar stance, anyway.

Curiously, the war spilled right over into civilian society as the fashion of the day included military garb purchased at the local Army surplus store. I wore some veteran’s discarded jacket (covered in political push pins) as I went to class.

They say war is hell, and I think of the Vietnam war as a special kind of hell I can’t even imagine. I can’t remember a single friend who served over there and saw combat willing to share his experiences.

How hard it must be to fight such an unpopular war, to be called a baby killer upon your return, to lose so many of your fellow fighters to mines, booby traps and snipers, to feel like your sacrifice and theirs was all for naught. And somehow, with all that combined, I think some of them must feel a little embarrassed like they did something wrong.

Let me say that is not the case. I remember. I was there all those years ago.

The veterans of the Vietnam War served their nation with the highest honor — exactly like every other veteran who has ever answered the nation’s call. Those brave men and women did not pick that fight, but they rose to defend the nation exactly as the veterans of every American conflict have done.

If someone has issues with the Vietnam War, they should take it up with the politicians, not with those who fought it.

I thank all the Vietnam veterans for their service, and I want them to know they have my complete respect for their service and their sacrifice. I hope one day the demons they face may be fully exorcised. I wish one day the nation will join me in showing them the gratitude and appreciation they so clearly deserve.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Here’s President Trump’s message from yesterday.

Presidential message on National Vietnam War Veterans Day
Beginning in 1965, millions of American heroes courageously departed their homeland and arrived in the jungles of Vietnam to halt the spread of communism and defend the cause of freedom against forces of evil and oppression.

On March 29, 1973, after eight years of excruciating battle, the last United States military forces withdrew, and our final prisoners of war were released — solidifying their place in history as gallant warriors for liberty and guardians against tyranny.

This National Vietnam War Veterans Day, we solemnly honor these patriots for their extraordinary courage, steadfast resilience and unbreakable bond of brotherhood while enduring one of the most gruesome combat experiences in American history.

For the better part of a decade, our warriors endured suffocating heat, relentless monsoon rains, treacherous terrains and the merciless brutality of guerilla warfare.  After eight years of battle, 58,000 American service members had been killed, and more than 300,000 were wounded — making the Vietnam War one of the deadliest engagements that our military has ever seen.

After valiantly serving through such brutal combat, many Vietnam veterans returned home without the welcome and gratitude that they so rightly deserved and had earned.  Today, we pledge that their service — and the service of every veteran — will never be forgotten or diminished.  As President, I will always ensure that our veterans have the respect and support our country owes them.  During my first term in office, I proudly signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act to designate March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day — enshrining a permanent, annual day of remembrance for the brave souls who fought in Vietnam.

Since returning to office last year, I have worked tirelessly to empower and uplift our veterans. My administration has secured historic tax relief for senior citizens, including many of our eldest veterans.  We are expanding access to care, opening more than 30 new veteran health clinics to date across the country.  We are constructing the National Center for Warrior Independence, which will house up to 6,000 homeless veterans by 2028.

Meanwhile, under my leadership, the Department of Veteran Affairs’s backlog of veterans waiting for benefits has dropped more than 60 percent since last year.  The VA is processing record numbers of disability claims.

And earlier this month, the VA announced the Claim Assist Portal, a new and easier way for veterans to respond to VA claim requests — and the VA and Department of Justice signed an agreement to help our most vulnerable veterans get the care they need.

Today, we stand united in gratitude for the courageous service and love of country exemplified by the patriots who fought in the Vietnam War.

As we celebrate 250 glorious years of American independence, we reaffirm our nation’s sacred promise to always support and honor every hero who has fought in defense of our freedom, our home and our way of life.  You will always have my unfailing loyalty and support.