In late March, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Vietnam War Commemoration event at the Fergus Falls Veterans Home. The event was well attended by Vietnam Veterans living at the Home and by the Vietnam Veterans from the community at large.

As part of the War Commemoration, I read the proclamation signed by Governor Walz. This proclamation affirmed the fact that 1,077 services members from Minnesota were killed in action during the Vietnam War. Thankfully, those killed in action are a small number of the 60,000 Minnesotans who served during the war. The Governor’s proclamation went on to indicate that all Minnesotans are “grateful for the service, accomplishments and sacrifices of Vietnam War Veterans.” 

At one point in the program, I was afforded the opportunity to present Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Pins to the Veterans from the community.  I could tell that for many of them, this was an emotional moment with many having teary eyes or visibly shaking. Toward the end of the presentation, I came across a Veteran overwhelmed with emotion. He indicated to me that this was the first time he had been formally thanked for his service.  

I think it is important to remember that it is never too late to thank a Veteran who put their lives on hold, spent months, or years, away from their family and represented both their state and country as a member of our Armed Forces. So the next time you see a Vietnam Veteran, I encourage you to go out of your way to thank them for both their sacrifices and their service. 

Vietnam Veterans represent 38 percent of the current Veterans in Minnesota, but as a group they have not received the level of gratitude that Veterans of other conflicts have experienced. As Governor Walz indicated in the proclamation: “It is never too late to pay tribute to and honor those who answered our nation’s call in Vietnam.”