National Vietnam Veteran's Day 2025 Celebrated in Edmonson County

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 20, of Glasgow, perform a 21-gun salute outside the Edmonson County Court House in honor of the fallen to commemorate Vietnam War Veterans' Day March 29 in Brownsville.

​Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
All around the Nation people celebrated Vietnam War Veterans’ Day Saturday, March 29th, and Edmonson County was no different.
 
In the U.S. people are no stranger to Veteran's Day. It was established after World War II and the Korean War by Congress under then President Dwight Eisenhower to be celebrated November 11th starting in 1954.
 
The Vietnam War Veterans’ Day is relatively new. It was established also by Congress during now President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House in 2017.
 
The Vietnam War Veteran's Recognition Act of 2017 began as a bill and was passed unanimously by the Senate February 3 and three days later approved by the House with similar fervor in a voice vote. It was then signed into law March 28, 2017.
 
Why March 29th?
 
The date is significant because it marks the last time U.S. combat troops were deployed to Vietnam from the U.S., according to the U.S. Army on their website Army.mil/Vietnam.
 
This day of March 29th is maybe more significant to other 29’s as well. It is the 50th anniversary of the final deployment this year.
 

The bell is rung once for each fallen veteran named in the Edmonson County Community Center to commemorate Vietnam War Veterans' Day March 29 in Brownsville.

Veterans commemorate their service celebrating Vietnam War Veterans' Day in the Edmonson County Community Center March 29 in Brownsville.

​Never forget.
 
There are some unwritten rules in the military. For those serving, one of those might be never leave anyone behind.
 
When veterans of Vietnam returned home, it was not the welcome their elder colleagues had enjoyed after WWII. There was so much disconnect between the soldiers who fought and the people at home, folks at home lined up to disparage the veterans.
 
It was their right. It is what the veterans fought for. The rights too, at least.
 
The problem was most of the people who fought in the war were drafted. They did not have a choice. Some with medical problems or designated important skills like higher learning were allowed to defer, or not be drafted, but it was not the case for most draft age adults.
 
From 1964 to 1973 approximately 2.7 million Americans served directly in Vietnam, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs. There were over 8.7 million in the services and 3.4 million of them were deployed in Southeast Asia.
 
When they came home, Vietnam veterans were spit on, yelled at and called “baby killers.” There were no PTSD-specializing doctors, because PTSD hadn’t been discovered as a real disorder. Vets were publicly punished for reporting for duty. They were treated as though they had enlisted to an all-volunteer military to go and kill people in another country. This was not the case, as many were drafted to report for duty, regardless of their own views on the war, I wrote in 2015.
 
“Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” That is the motto worn on t-shirts, bumper stickers and in the hearts of all who had the unfortunate experience of witnessing the Vietnam War, reported in 2015.
 
“You were often blamed for a war you didn’t start, when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor,” 44th President Barrack Obama said commemorating the 50th anniversary May 2012 according to Vietnamwar50th.com. “You were sometimes blamed for misdeeds of a few, when the honorable service of the many should have been praised. You came home and sometimes were denigrated, when you should have been celebrated. It was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened. And that's why here today we resolve that it will not happen again.”
 
Since then, Congress has amended laws to ensure veterans will never be discriminated against for their service.

Edmonson County judge executive Scott Lindsey honors Vietnam veterans on Vietnam War Veterans' Day in the Edmonson County Community Center March 29 in Brownsville.

Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 of Brownsville VFW Post 6937 Gerald Carroll is "especially honored and humbled to be here today," to celebrate and remember Vietnam veterans on Vietnam War Veterans' Day in the Edmonson County Community Center March 29 in Brownsville.

​Back in Brownsville, it is one of Edmonson County Judge-Executive Scott Lindsey’s favorite days, he said.
 
“This is one of my favorite things we do every year,” Lindsey said. “I love any program that has to do with our veterans because they deserve all the support and recognition we can give ‘em.”
 
There was one veteran in particular from Edmonson County to be recognized in the Edmonson County Community Center. 
 
Sergeant First Class Darrel Dennis was recognized for not one, but two tours of duty to Vietnam.
 
Over 1,000 Kentuckians lost their lives in Vietnam. 
 
Twelve men from Edmonson County never came home.
 
As those men’s names were read on stage, a bell tolled once for the fallen just off stage.
 
Over 8,000 people lived in Edmonson County during the Vietnam Era and of those, more than 600 served in the military during the Era.
 
“I mean he gave a big part of his life for his country, for his family and it’s a great honor,” Dennis’ sister Debbie Carroll said after the ceremony.
 
After the ceremony and a brief brunch, folks went outside to continue to honor the veterans and the fallen with a 21-gun salute performed by Disabled American Veterans Chapter 20 out of Glasgow, a lowering of the flag and placement of the wreath.
 
Plan for next year on March 29th to commemorate them again.
 
What can you do?
 
A large number of veterans, especially from even just three decades ago serving in Desert Storm, did not have cool words combined into phrases like post-traumatic stress disorder. It used to be called “shell shock.”
 
The prescription used to be rub some dirt on it and get back in the game.
 
Today, unless dwelling under a rock, folks know stress can cause harm both mentally and physically.
 
It may not mean the uncle who never talked about being designated the tunnel rat when his platoon came upon subterranean encampments to explore will talk about it. It does mean they know folks do care now though. 
 
Sometimes all veterans need is to know their sacrifices are appreciated.