The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, signified one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century, marking the official end of the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War was a painful lesson for many – from Washington, D.C. to Big Sky Country.
Many of us were eighteen-year-olds when we got on a plane and got off in Vietnam at the start of the Tet Offensive and 21 weeks of intense combat.
Numbers certainly do not tell the who story – or all of them – but they paint a picture of lives lost and families devasted.
America paid a terrible price for its involvement in the Vietnam War – 58,220 killed-in-action, and over 300,000 wounded.
As of April 8, 2025, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted from the Vietnam War is 1,573.
There is no distinction between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War. Many were called to serve, and no one could determine where they would serve.
Please give thanks to our veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.
Footnote: Still in Saigon (1982) was written by Dan Daley and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band.
Got on a plane in Fresco and got off in Vietnam.
I walked into a different world, the past forever gone.
The song is a portrayal of the plight of the American Vietnam veteran…
Rick Gale, Public Relations, Elks Lodge #463