Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, a milestone that came and went with little fanfare.
On April 30, 1975, the fall of Saigon marked the end of a conflict that lasted for almost two decades and ended with more than 58,000 American soldiers dead, as well as many times that number of Vietnamese, both North and South, soldiers and civilians.
It is a painful chapter in our nation’s history, one that began with America’s involvement in a French colonial war, and ended with large-scale anti-war protests throughout the U.S. Those who fought and died were soon forgotten by most except for family and friends, as the country tried to move on from Vietnam.
This coming week, the American public has a chance to rectify that situation and pay special attention to honor the fallen dead of the Vietnam War with the observance of Memorial Day. Gloucester’s observance, hosted by Marine Corps League Middle Peninsula Detachment 1317, will be held on Sunday afternoon at the...