Click here to see the list of recipients of the Vietnam Veterans 50th Anniversary Pin
Nearly 45 years ago, thousands of brave servicemembers returned home from the Vietnam War after valiantly serving our nation. These men and women had hopes and goals and aspirations, and instead of pursuing them, they went to war and sacrificed for us. Today, we thank them for their incredible sacrifice and for their unyielding, steadfast commitment to our country in the decades since the Vietnam War ended.
One of the ways my office is recognizing these brave Americans is by participating in the Vietnam Veterans 50th Anniversary Pin Program. Any Vietnam-era Veteran living in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces any time between November 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975 is eligible to request a 50th Commemoration pin. To request a pin, please fill out this form and either email it to Molly Smith at molly.smith@mail.house.gov or mail the form to 18 North Main Street, 4th Floor, Concord, NH 03301. Although Congresswoman Kuster can only provide pins to residents of the 2nd Congressional District, we encourage Vietnam Veterans and their relatives who live outside of our district to contact their Member of Congress for more information.
Application Form
Additional Background:
The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act approved a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War to honor veterans of the war and to highlight the service of the Armed Forces during that conflict. The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration began with the Presidential inaugural event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, and will conclude on Veterans Day, November 11, 2025, by Presidential Proclamation.
For the purposes of this Commemoration, November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975 is the time period recognized to honor the sacrifice of those who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. November 1, 1955 was selected to coincide with the official designation of Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam (MAAG-V). May 15, 1975 marks the end of the battle precipitated by the seizure of the SS Mayaguez. U.S. involvement in Vietnam started slowly with an initial deployment of advisors in the early 1950s, grew incrementally through the early 1960s, and expanded with the deployment of full combat units in July 1965. The last U.S. personnel were evacuated from Vietnam in April 1975.
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that today there are 6.4 million living Vietnam Veterans and 9 million families of those who served in this time frame. The Commemoration does not distinguish between Veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War period.
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