Officer’s death, UAB basketball, Vietnam anniversary: Down in Alabama
Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. And this year it’s a big one: It’s the 50th anniversary of the last combat troops leaving South Vietnam.
Famously, with politics being what they are, Vietnam veterans have learned not to always hold their breath waiting on a consensus of admiration, but over the past couple of White House administrations there were moves made to encourage Americans to show their appreciation for the service members of a half-century ago. President Obama issued a proclamation in 2012 regarding 50-year anniversaries from 2012-2025, and President Trump signed a law that made today “National Vietnam War Veterans Day.”
The long war took a toll on those who came back and, of course, the families of those who didn’t.
U.S. archives recorded 58,220 fatal American casualties from the war. That includes 1,208 with Alabama listed as their home state.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act encourages Americans to display their flags today.
Also on today’s podcast:
- We have tragic news from Huntsville, where a police officer was killed in the line of duty.
- We have a men’s college basketball team in the NIT finals.
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