March 29th was chosen
because it is the day the last United States combat soldier left South Vietnam
in 1973.
According to the Vietnam Era
Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) states, "A Vietnam
era veteran is a person who: “served on active duty anywhere in the world for a
period of more than 180 days, any part of which occurred between August 5, 1964
and May 7, 1975.”
2.7 million American men and
women actively served in and around Vietnam. During the war, over 58,000 U.S.
military members lost their lives and 153,000 were wounded. There were 766
prisoners of war of which 114 died in captivity. 2/3 of the men who served in
Vietnam were Volunteers (ie. not Drafted) and 70% of those killed were Volunteers.
As of February 2019 approximately
610,000 Americans who served on land in Vietnam and approximately 164,000
Americans who served at sea in waters around Vietnam are alive today. This covers the time frame between 1954 and
1975 (from the North-South Partition to the Fall of Saigon.)
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