HARRISBURG – Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) introduced a resolution to honor the sacrifice of Vietnam War veterans by recognizing March 29, 2025, as Vietnam War Veterans Day in Pennsylvania.
“For too long, our Vietnam veterans bore the weight of war without the recognition and gratitude they deserved. They fought with valor, bled for our freedoms and returned home not to parades, but to protests – a disgraceful injustice that must never be repeated,” Mastriano said.
More than 58,000 American service members gave their lives in Vietnam, and more than 300,000 were wounded. Hundreds of prisoners of war suffered unspeakable horrors, and too many never made it back.
“Millions of American families were forever changed – parents lost their children, wives became widows and children grew up without their fathers,” Mastriano said. “Their courage, their sacrifice and their suffering must never be forgotten.”
March 29 marks the day in 1973 when the last United States combat troops left Vietnam. It was the end of American involvement that saw extraordinary heroism in the face of impossible odds.
Upon returning home, Vietnam War veterans forged a new path. They fought for recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder as a real combat injury and pushed for improvements in VA services. They also formed support organizations like the Vietnam Veterans of America to help their fellow warriors and mentored younger generations of troops so no service member would ever come home to the same treatment they endured.
“March 29 is not just another day. It is a day to reflect on the price of freedom. It is a day to educate our children on the valor of those who came before them. It is a day to shake a veteran’s hand, say ‘thank you’ and mean it,” Mastriano said.
CONTACT: Don Beishl, 717-787-6701