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Current VFW Post 8560 Commander Rusty Nail says Vietnam War veterans have done more than anyone else. File photo by Jillian Smith
Sunday, March 29 is designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and Americans who served will be remembered.
Rusty Nail, commander of VFW Post 8560, says most of his post members are Vietnam veterans. Nail himself enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1971 with the intention of going to Vietnam. He retired in 2012.
Nail served in Desert Storm and was the middle leg in a three-generation tradi tion of military service started by his father and continuing with Nail’s son, who served as a tanker and retired after 20 years of service.
“It was right as [the Army] was trying to shut down [operations in Vietnam]. They sent me to Germany instead, and it made me mad. I know a lot of Vietnam veterans, and they’re like World War II veterans, as far as I’m concerned. They’ve done more than what anybody else has. They’re all heroes,” Nail said.
Although Sulphur Springs resident Mike Nordin rarely talks about his experiences in Vietnam today, 60 years after his service, he said, “We were told we don’t have to worry about hell, because we’ve already been there.”
The observance day was proclaimed by then-President Barack Obama in 2012. President Donald J. Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 into law, making the commemoration day an annual event.
March 29 was chosen as the date as the last American soldiers left Vietnam on that day in 1973. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Although the percentage of deaths is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300% higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.
Americans are encouraged to display the U.S. flag in honor of Vietnam veterans on Sunday.