Yesterday was an important anniversary, but I doubt you saw anything on the news or in your local paper.
Sunday marked 50 years since the first brigade-strength U.S. Marine unit arrived in Vietnam. On March 8, 1965, nearly 5,000 Marines from the 9 th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed to defend the American air base at Da Nang. It's an anniversary that was met with little fanfare. However, the impact of that day and the years that followed during the Vietnam War, still affect our country in ways large and small.
The Vietnam War was arguably the most divisive event in our nation during the 20th Century. When 9 million Americans served, and more than 58,000 made the ultimate sacrifice, not just those service members were forever changed. Their families, their buddies, and the country as a whole also were impacted socially, politically, and militarily.
What Vietnam veterans faced when they came back home, a divided America and at times little to no respect for their service, has now generated a new legacy - a proud legacy of service in America in which people stand and shake the hands of service members and say, "Thank you and welcome home."
It was Vietnam veterans who vowed to never again let a generation of Americans go to war without the support and respect they deserve. As current wars rage on, Vietnam veterans are the first to recognize our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for their service.
As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we remember those 5,000 Marines who landed on March 8, 1965, as the beginning of something much larger. That day was the start of something that not only affected those men and their families, but each and every one of us today.
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Their service and sacrifice still matters . . .
To our Marines, we simply say, "Thank you, and Semper Fi."
Jim Knotts
CEO
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
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