Oconee will say thank you to Vietnam War vets

The secretary of the Veterans Administration, Robert McDonald, invites Oconee County residents to be part of a nationwide thank you to the Vietnam veterans and their families.  On Tuesday, March 29 nine thousand organizations will host events to thank Vietnam veterans, their families, as well as Vietnam era veterans, for their service. During the twenty years between November 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975 nine million men and women served on active duty during the U.S. involvement in Vietnam.  Participation in that war became one of the most divisive foreign policy decisions in the nation’s history. Some Americans believed the war was necessary to curtail Communist aggression.  Others protested the war, stating that it was a civil conflict and that the US should not take on the role of “world policeman.”  Unlike soldiers in other American wars, returning Vietnam vets did not receive parades and accolade to celebrate their homecoming. This is a chance to extend heartfelt appreciation to all who answered the call of duty. You are asked to mark March 29 from 2:00 until 4:00 and plan to attend a commemoration at the Oconee Heritage Center on Brown Street in Walhalla to recognize and honor Vietnam veterans.  After refreshments, participants are invited to stroll across the street to Patriots’ Hall, a museum containing artifacts documenting the participation of Oconee’s sons and daughters in the nation’s wars.  Locally, the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War is a partnership between the Oconee Veterans Services and two chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution: the Walhalla Chapter and the Wizard of Tamassee Chapter.