New day honors Vietnam veterans

March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, marking the third year the observance is held on the same date nationwide.

Although most states celebrate “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” each year, it hasn’t always fallen on the same day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states observed it on the 29th and some on the 30th.

However, March 29 is the date in 1973 that the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam, the website noted, along with the date that President Nixon chose for the first Vietnam Veterans Day in 1974.

The holiday became official when President Trump signed the “The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017,” which encourages Americans to display the U.S. flag in honor of Vietnam veterans.

A similar holiday was observed on March 29, 2012, via a proclamation signed by President Obama, according to military.com, which said the year marked the start of a 13-year-long celebration honoring Vietnam War veterans that runs through Veterans Day 2025.

And of course the observance should not be confused with Veterans Day, which is Nov. 11 each year and honors veterans of all wars and conflicts. That holiday was originally established to mark the end of World War I and was initially referred to as Armistice Day.