In 2012, President Barack Obama proclaimed that March 29 will always be a national Vietnam Veterans Day as it was on that day in 1973 that U.S. troops withdrew from the Vietnam War. As an official Commemorative Partner of the United States 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum offered free admission to Vietnam veterans and their families on this day this year. The solemn occasion was also marked by a brief remembrance ceremony held in the Vietnam Experience exhibit at Patriots Point.
On this beautiful spring day, thousands of visitors came to Patriots Point and many of them paid tribute to the Vietnam veterans at the ceremony. Hundreds of Vietnam veterans were in attendance, and each veteran was presented with an official Vietnam Veteran lapel pin from the Department of Defense. A moment of silence was held to remember the more than 58,000 veterans who were killed in the Vietnam War, including 895 from the state of South Carolina.
The event was sponsored in part by the SunTrust Foundation. Check out some photos of the event in the gallery below. To see all photos from the event, visit the Vietnam Veterans Day 2016 album (click here) on our Facebook page.
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