JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. , April 1, 2019 —
In honor of the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration, the Defense Commissary Agency and Army and Air Force Exchange Service hosted a Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin presentation ceremony at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, March 29, 2019.
The pins were presented to U.S. Veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time between November 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975.
"We must forever remember the men and women who served during the Vietnam War," said U.S. Army Col. Jennifer Walkawicz, 733rd Mission Support Group commander. "Many did not come home to parades or the hero welcome they rightly deserved, so we have an obligation to continue to tell their heroic stories and let them and their families know we recognize and honor their sacrifices."
On Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama officially inaugurated this commemoration at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. By Presidential Proclamation, the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration will continue through Veterans Day, November 11, 2025.
“During this commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we embrace our responsibility to help our Vietnam Veterans and their families heal from the heavy toll of war,” said U.S. President Donald Trump during his 2019 commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War proclamation. “We remember the more than 58,000 whose names are memorialized on the black granite wall in our nation’s capital for having borne the heaviest cost of war. We also pay tribute to the brave patriots who suffered as prisoners of war, and we stand steadfast in our commitment not to rest until we account for the 1,253 heroes who have not yet returned to American soil.”