GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The annual Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Day “Welcome Home” ceremony will recognize, honor and thank veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices during one of the longest and politically most polarizing wars in the nation’s history on Saturday, March 28.

Starting at 10 a.m., the Clay County Board of County Commissioners, along with the TAPS Committee and the Daughters of the American Revolution, will conduct its 51^st remembrance of the end of the Vietnam War at the TAPS Monument, 915 Walnut St. This will be the seventh year of the “Welcome Home” theme for the men and women who didn’t receive a proper welcome home following their deployment.

The Vietnam Veterans Association will be joined by local government officials, law enforcement, public safety, public education officials, veterans’ groups, residents from Moosehaven and other Vietnam veterans and their families.

Jeanie Jacobs Huffman, a daughter of a Missing In Action Vietnam Veteran, will be the guest speaker. She is a representative for Mission: POW-MIA, an organization recognized for its transparency, determination and dedication to end the uncertainty faced by generations of America's POW-MIA families.

They will hear from other guest speakers, observe a traditional wreath laying, hear music performed by Craig Seaton, witness a flyover by the Dreamland Squadron by nearby Haller Airpark and hear the somber sounds of “TAPS.”

Ret. U.S. Navy Master Chief Mack Ellis will present his rendition of "Old Glory."

 There are still 1,566 missing or unaccounted-for from Vietnam. 

The TAPS monument includes the names of 66 Clay County fallen warriors, 21 from the Vietnam War, dating back to the 1860s. The names of the KIA will be called followed by a bell tone ring. 

Motorcycle groups – Patriot Guard and Rolling Thunder – will be conducting a ride into the ceremony. There will be an old car display along with presentations from the Military Museum of North Florida and Camp Blanding. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for the Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs. 

The National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which is Sunday, March 29, honors the U.S. military members who served during the Vietnam War (1955-1975).

From Jan. 1, 1965, to March 28, 1973, 2.6 million military personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. Another 50,000 served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964. 

During the Vietnam Era – Aug. 5, 1965, to May 7, 1975 – more than nine million served on active duty. 

There were more than 58,000 U.S. military casualties in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975.