POSTED ON March 3, 2023

March 3, 2023

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, EBR MAYOR-PRESIDENT SHARON WESTON BROOME AND MAYOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HOST VIETNAM WAR 50^th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION

BATON ROUGE, La.—The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs welcome all Vietnam veterans, their families and veteran supporters to attend the statewide Vietnam War 50^th Anniversary Commemoration honoring Louisiana’s Vietnam veterans on Wednesday, March 29, Vietnam War Veterans Day, at 10 a.m. at the Raising Cane’s River Center.

“As a Vietnam veteran who served two combat tours, I know what it felt like to not be welcomed home,” said LDVA Secretary Joey Strickland, COL (USA Retired). “As Louisiana’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I am proud to host this event to honor Louisiana’s more than 85,000 Vietnam era veterans, of which 280 live in our five state-run veterans homes, and to officially welcome them home. We are also grateful for the support of the Vietnam Veterans of America Louisiana State Council and their work to honor our Vietnam veterans.”

“Veterans represent about 10% of our residents in East Baton Rouge Parish and it is imperative we honor and advocate for those who served our country,” said Mayor Broome. “We are privileged to still have many Vietnam War veterans among us and must take the time to recognize their sacrifice in one of the most significant conflicts of our history.”

Raising Cane’s River Center doors open at 9 a.m. Guests will have time before the 10 a.m. ceremony to view exhibits of Vietnam memorabilia and browse resource booths. Staff from LSU’s T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History will be on hand to discuss and conduct oral histories of veterans. The ceremony will include reflections of Vietnam and recognition of service members from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard as well as a presentation of a commemorative challenge coin to all Vietnam veterans. At the conclusion of the ceremony, lunch will be served. Guests will also enjoy live, 1960s music before and after the ceremony.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. RSVP as soon as possible via Eventbrite at bit.ly/VietnamWar50th, email at veteran@la.gov or phone at 225.276.8626. Event parking is available in both the East and West parking garages on St. Louis Street for a fee of $10 payable by card only. A drop off location for those who need closer access to the venue is located in the St. Louis Plaza Circle off of St. Louis Street. The Raising Cane’s River Center does not allow any firearms or knives on the premises, and it is a clear bag venue. Allowable bags include clear totes no larger than 12”x6”x12”; plastic zip top bags no large than one gallon; small clutch purse no larger than 5”x7”; and medical items as related to a medical condition. For more information about the clear bag policy, visit https://raisingcanesrivercenter.com/clear-bag-policy.

The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. Nearly three million Americans served in uniform in Vietnam, and more than three million people, including more than 58,000 Americans, were killed in the war. More than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty, while more than 1,600 still remain missing or unrecoverable.

###