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Today, communities across the U.S. pay tribute to Vietnam veterans and their families on National Vietnam War Veterans Day, as reported by the Portsmouth Daily Times.
U.S. involvement in Vietnam started slowly with an initial deployment of advisers in the early 1950s, grew incrementally through the early 1960s and expanded with the deployment of full combat units in July 1965, the Daily Times said. The last U.S. personnel were evacuated from Vietnam in April 1975.
About 9 million Americans served during the Vietnam era. More than 6 million are still alive.
We appreciate that Geisinger will host several welcome-home commemorations today, including at their clinic at 100 N. Academy Drive, Danville. We also are thankful that a "drive-in" ceremony will be held today at the Lewistown Armory, 28 Armory Lane, Lewistown.
We find it unfortunate that we have no local event this year, but we do encourage readers to attend the annual events and ceremonies held on Memorial Day throughout Lycoming County, and to visit Veterans Park on Wahoo Drive -- on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and on other days.
After all, as we editorialized on the occasion of 2017's Veterans Day: "The consciousness of what our military personnel do daily for our country and the world -- and what they have done for centuries -- deserves a daily presence rather than an annual observance."
This is particularly true when remembering and honoring veterans of the Vietnam War. In the decades since, Vietnam veterans have often been neglected and misunderstood, portrayed by TV and movies with ignorant stereotypes and maligned over disagreements not with their services but with the decisions of policy-makers.
It has been wrong. It will continue to be wrong. And today is a fitting day to commit ourselves to better understanding their sacrifices, their character and their service.