March 29 marks Vietnam Veterans Day. In Minnesota, we are proud to recognize more than 103,000 Vietnam-era Veterans, the largest group of Veterans among our total of 304,000. Vietnam-era Veterans served between February 28,1961 and May 7, 1975.

While the Minnesota Legislature designated this special day of recognition in 2008, the National Vietnam War Veterans Day was enacted in 2017. Vietnam Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans and their families and is part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home more than 40 years ago.

March 29 is a date of significance, as on March 29, 1973, the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam and the last prisoners of war held in North Vietnam arrived on American soil.

I encourage you to visit the Minnesota Vietnam Memorial which is located near the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Service Building on the State Capitol grounds. Designed in 1992, the memorial includes a red granite map of Indochina that forms the entrance. A winding concrete pathway literally brings you home from Southeast Asia. A directory will help you find a particular name. The main plaza is surfaced with 68,000 granite squares, each representing a Minnesotan who served in the country or territorial waters of Vietnam. 1,120 of the squares are dark green, these mark the hometowns of the Minnesotans who did not return. All 1,120 names of Minnesota's KIAs and MIAs are engraved in this dark green granite wall. A limestone representation of a house furthers the theme of homecoming. Minnesota dolomitic limestone walls echo the feel of our limestone riverbanks. Pools, streams, and native Minnesota trees and shrubs add to the sense of coming home.

To learn more about the Vietnam experience, I recommend watching a Twin Cities PBS documentary called  Minnesota Remembers Veteran. This collaboration among the state’s six public television stations features the Story Wall, original documentaries, and a series of public screenings and commemorative events that seek to more fully remember, honor and understand the experience of 50 years ago.

MDVA will be recognizing Vietnam Veterans Day this year by sharing a State of Minnesota Proclamation via our social media channels, newsletters and website. The Minnesota Veterans Homes also have recognitions planned for their Residents who served during the Vietnam era.

MDVA is honored to recognize Minnesota’s Vietnam Veterans.  With the closure of the Minnesota Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, any Vietnam Veteran needing assistance with health or disability claims can contact the MDVA Claims Team. The St. Paul Claims Office can be reached at 612-970-5662 and the Northwest Minnesota/Fargo Claims Office can be reached at 701-451-4641.

If you need information or support on any Veteran issue, please visit our website, contact your County Veterans Service Officer, or contact LinkVet at 1-888-LinkVet.

Thank YOU for your service!