With elected officials and representatives of the Utah National Guard and veterans groups present, Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation on Monday concerning veterans of the Vietnam War, including a resolution of gratitude for the Americans who fought there. Two other bills designated Interstate 84 as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway and created a new system of veteran’s courts.
Dennis Howland, the President of the Utah chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, spoke at the event. Howland, who served as a Marine in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, estimated that nearly 400 veterans were in attendance. He said that he hopes the new courts can help give veterans of the war the help they need.
“The Veteran’s Court is a very important function, particularly as it comes to Vietnam veterans. PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] wasn’t something they recognized during the Vietnam War,” Howland said. “Now, I see Vietnam veterans are going to be, perhaps, treated the same as veterans of other wars, whether they be before us or after us. During the time that we came home, whenever a Vietnam veteran got in trouble he was just in trouble.”
Even though the War in Vietnam ended over 40 years ago, recognition for those who fought in the decade-long conflict has been slow to materialize. Howland said that, as his generation begins to pass on, it is important to recognize these veterans and is thankful that Utah has taken a more pro-active approach.
“Finally! I say ‘finally’ because our war started 53 years ago and it was over 40 years ago. Utah has kind of led the way on different things for Vietnam veterans. We were the 25th state to recognize March 29 as Vietnam Veteran’s Day,” he said. “You have to understand, too, we’re losing 390 Vietnam veterans a day. A lot of the guys that should have had and received honor are gone.”
March 29, Vietnam Veteran’s Day, has yet to become a federal holiday.
