Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Local veterans organizations including the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion and the Piedmont Area Veterans Council, are presenting a program to honor all veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War Sunday March 29.

The commemoration will be held at the Farmville Sports Arena on Zion Hill Road (behind the Prince Edward County Schools Complex) from 2 to 4 p.m.

President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 on March 28, 2017 designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The commemoration honors all veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location. The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration organization makes no distinction between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War period. All were called to serve and none could self-determine where they would serve.

A total of 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era, with more than 2,709,000 Americans serving in Vietnam. More than 58,000 service members were killed in Vietnam and more than 1,600 Americans are still missing in action (MIA) from the Vietnam War.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that today there are more than six million U.S. Vietnam Veterans living in America and abroad, along with nine million families of those who served. There are more than 208,000 Vietnam Veterans in Virginia.

There will be color and honor guards with music by the Heart of Virginia Band and a local DJ. There will also be a food vendor at the event. American Legion Riders, VFW Riders and Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle riders will parade. There will be several speakers with remarks by local Vietnam Veterans and others.

For information on the commemoration, call Ed Dunn at (434) 485-1591 or Fred Hill at (434) 574-5134.

The event is family-friendly and free of charge. Everyone is welcome.