Vietnam Veterans

This page is to pay tribute to all Vietnam Veterans, living or deceased, men and women,
who served their country on either side of the conflict.

No matter which side of the conflict, the least any of these men or women did- was their duty.
For this, we want to acknowledge and pay tribute.

Vietnam Veterans returning to see Vietnam in a new way- as a country, people, & a culture; not as a war.	Vietnam Veterans coming together for camaraderie; and a good time; for some veterans, some healing & Closure.

People often ask how I got involved with Vietnam Veterans. My personal connection comes from having a father who is a Vietnam Veteran. He served two extended tours in Vietnam and was first stationed in the Central highlands from April 1968- November 1970. His second extended tour was in the Delta from December 1970- June 1972. My father met and married my mother in Vietnam. I was born in Vietnam as well. My father eventually brought both my mother and I to the United States in 1973.

After starting my non-profit organization and working on other projects, I told my mother I believed that some day I would be involved with Vietnam Veterans.  It wasn’t something I thought about or planned on my own.  It was more of a feeling .  I did not yet understand how or even why.

One day, I received a letter from a Veterans counselor from Duluth, MN.  She asked me to come and speak to a group of Vietnam Veterans.  Although I told my mother I knew this would happen , when the day actually came I could hardly believe it.  I even tried to talk myself out of it, because in my mind I just couldn’t understand what I, a 22- year old woman at the time, who left Vietnam at eight months old, would have to say to these men. 

I decided to share my story and my knowledge about the Vietnam of today.  Even more importantly, I learned about who these Veterans were.  A lot of the m had stories that were never told and needed to be heard.   I was honored by the privilege of this meeting and the many others that followed .  I knew this knowledge was given to me to not just keep to myself, but to pass onto others and to assist in providing a platform for them to tell their own stories.  

I’ve come to love so many of them. Vietnam Veterans have made their own mark. They have done many great things in their own community besides their initial service in the military. Many of them have and are continuing to return to Vietnam to do great things as well. They are also the front runners for making sure the soldiers returning today are being taken care of.

I will continue to make sure these men are honored and their stories are told. We need to educate the community, especially the next generations; so we can always preserve this history and their stories. Vietnam Veterans- Let us honor some.

Thuy Smith International Outreach hosts an Annual Vietnam Veteran’s Appreciation gathering, have brought Vets on return trips to Vietnam, personally proposed and advocated for a Vietnam Veteran’s day bill, and help create platforms for Veterans to tell their own stories.