At the Vietnam pinning ceremony March 29, CSM Micheal Sutterfield of the USAG Bavaria talks with retired Sgt. 1st Class Mario Mercado. Mercado served in Vietnam from August 1972 to March 1973.
DALLAS – Vietnam-era Veterans were honored for their sacrifice with pinning ceremonies at Army & Air Force Exchange Service stores around the world and at Exchange headquarters March 29—National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
The free lapel pins, provided in partnership with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, are a token of the Nation’s appreciation for these heroes, who, decades ago, did not receive the homecomings they deserved.
Doug Dixon, from Camden, S.C., spent 13 years in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He said he never received a proper thank-you for his service other than from his wife, Leah, who was a Veterans Affairs nurse.
“It was everything but ‘thank you’ when we returned to San Francisco back in 1969,” Dixon said after receiving his pin in a ceremony at Fort Jackson. “Not a lot of thank-yous then. I left it behind me. It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years. It seems like it was just yesterday.”
Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, a Vietnam-era Army Veteran, understands the importance of recognizing Veterans from that era for their sacrifice.
“Too many of my Soldiers came back from Vietnam broken,” Shull said. “The American public didn’t understand their sacrifices—and these heroes didn’t receive the homecoming they so rightly deserved. This is a way to thank them and extend a small measure of the gratitude they did not receive as they returned from combat.”
The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.
The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam Veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the Commemoration.
Maj. Gen. (Retired) James Jackson, Commemoration director, was grateful for the Exchange’s continued partnership.
“Working with the Exchange has enabled us to greatly increase awareness,” Jackson said. “As a result, we were able to commemorate the achievements and sacrifices of deserving Vietnam Veterans today.”
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Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 61st-largest retailer in the United States. Its earnings provided $2.4 billion in dividends to support military morale, welfare and recreation programs over the last 10 years. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http://www.shopmyexchange.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExchangePAO.
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Media Notes:
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