March 29, is National Viet Nam Veterans Day, it was first commemorated in 2012, and would eventually become an annual occurrence in 2017 when the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed and became law.
In Layton, Utah there is an 80% scale of the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington DC and this year I went to make some photographs of the wall and of the event happening that day.
It was a great event, complete with color guard.
As the events wound down, I went over to the wall to find my uncle's name James F. Schiele, who was killed during the war and happened upon another Veteran who was standing in front of a nearby panel for several minutes. I waited and watched him more after I made a photograph of him and then I approached him,to let him know that I had made a photograph of him and asked if he knew anyone listed on the wall. He knew a couple of names and was looking for them, but was unable to find them, then I pulled out my phone and pulled one of the many locators, but between the two of us, I wasn't able to find any of his buddies.
At the Layton City wall, there are eight benches placed along and facing the wall that honor the eight women all of which were Army nurses, that were killed in action and whose names are also listed on the wall.
Largely because of my work life, I have had the opportunity to speak to several thousand Viet Nam Veterans and when our conversations were over I would always thank for what they endured after they got home, because it was not in vain, because it also made things better for my generation of Veterans; I always end the conversation by saying, "Welcome Home".
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