Many people know Veterans Day comes every Nov. 11.
But fewer know of March 29, a day dedicated specifically to Vietnam veterans.
It was chosen to be observed in perpetuity because March 29, 1973, is the day the U.S. Military Assistance Command in Vietnam was disestablished and also the last day U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam.
In celebration, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031 in Durango will host Jim Knotts, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. A wreath-laying ceremony will occur at noon Friday in Iris Park near the Powerhouse Science Center, and a Vietnam Veterans Dinner will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the VFW. Knotts will lay the wreath at noon and is a guest speaker at the dinner.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization authorized by U.S. Congress in 1980 to build a national memorial, located in Washington, D.C., dedicated to all U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War.
Knotts will present information about the organization and the programs it offers. He will also bring a portable version of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial so that veterans who have not seen the wall may do so.
“There are a lot of Vietnam veterans who have never made it to the wall, or may never make it to the wall in D.C. again, as they get older,” Knotts said last week in an interview with The Durango Herald. “It gives them an opportunity to have the same healing experience that 5 million visitors a year have when they come to the wall in D.C.”
One of the primary topics Knotts plans to discuss is the organization’s “In Memory Program.” The program added a plaque to the memorial in 2004 remembering Vietnam veterans who died from their combat wounds shortly after returning home.
Knotts said some veterans or family members of veterans are unaware the In Memory Program exists.
“I'd like to see a good representation from our community so people can be educated about the Vietnam War,” said Vietnam Navy veteran Jeff Punches.
Punches has been a keynote speaker for the past two years at National Vietnam War Veterans Day events in Durango.
Punches said Knotts stresses education about the war. He said many Vietnam veterans choose not to speak about their experiences in combat, in part because of the vitriol some service members faced upon returning home. Opinions were divided between those who supported the war and those who were against it.
Knotts said members of the military often struggled to find jobs when they returned home.
“It split families,” Knotts said.
Punches said many people who served did not want to go to war, but they knew it was their duty.
“The dinner is free, although we appreciate donations,” he said.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
