I never served in Vietnam. When the last combat troops departed on March 29, 1973, I was still in high school. I can tell you that I felt the aftermath of that war for years to come, including being spit at as a West Point cadet visiting New York City in 1975. I’m glad to see that the country did the right thing with the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act in 2017. This Friday, March 29th, marks National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day.

As a country, we did not do a good job in the ’60s and ’70s of separating our opposition to the war, from our treatment of those who served there, whether as a volunteer, or a draftee. Not only did we not thank those who served, vilification often greeted them upon their return. Even worse, the Veterans Administration did a poor job of helping those who needed it most. Whether drug issues, exposure to Agent Orange, or dealing with PTSD, we failed these men and women.

As an active duty officer in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I saw the effects of Vietnam, and the transition to the then new, volunteer Army. Morale was low. Drug and alcohol abuse were a problem. Our aging equipment was in less than great condition, and maintenance dollars were restricted. Due to these, and other issues, our combat readiness was not what it needed to be.

In the mid to late 80s, our military turned around. Later, following the First Gulf War, our citizens did as well, and we remembered the right way to treat our soldiers and returning veterans. There are any number of issues still effecting our veterans, particularly those who have had multiple deployments to Afghanistan or Iraq. At least now, we are trying to do the right thing by them. The VA and other organizations still have issues with supporting our troops and vets, but we as a nation are much more supportive of them, and their sacrifice.

Having said all of that, I’m not sure we ever really circled back as a country to thank those who served in Vietnam, probably our most unpopular war. Most of these veterans are now in their late 60s or 70s. Every year, more of them pass away, sometimes from “normal” health issues, sometimes from war related problems. I hope you will join me on March 29th, and every day, to say a special thanks to this under appreciated group. As time passes, there will be less and less opportunities to do so.