Wreaths Across America Acknowledges Vietnam War Veterans Day with Gratitude


Throughout history, wars are inevitable results of a clash between political ideology and policy. Regardless of which side of the aisle they fall, when negotiations fail to suffice, men and women are called upon to defend their nation and sovereignty. With pride, these people dutifully execute their jobs with precision and professionalism. 

Those who serve are human beings asked to respect authority, follow commands, and do their duty under any circumstance. Often at the very beginning of their young-adult lives, and from every conceivable background, they’re brought together and placed in a hostile, life-threatening environment known as war, with no preconceived notions of what they’ll be faced with and have to endure. There is no escaping the dehumanizing realities of war. No sugar-coating. Combat is terrifying and ugly. Under extreme exhilaration, the focus is on advancing the mission and territory while staying alive and protecting your battle buddies. The mindset is kill-or-be-killed. 

The Vietnam War, also referred to as the Second Indochina War, was no different. The men and women who served during this conflict were doing their jobs. As cited in Billy White’s Army Commendation Medal, “he surmounted extremely adverse conditions to obtain consistently superior results.” 

Back in 1970, Billy White was 21-years-old and married with a toddler daughter. In a year, he learned to survive and fight in the jungles of Vietnam. It was such an abrupt and surreal experience. Those who served referred to home in the states as being back in ‘The World.’

Many years later, Billy started to share his personal stories of service in Vietnam on his Facebook page. At his daughter’s insistence, he complied more of those stories and published the book, True Grunt* Not the Monster of Vietnam.  “It was a difficult time in a world that not everybody can go back and visit as a veteran,“ Billy shared in an interview with Wreaths Radio. “It’s a very serious process but at the same time rewarding and a tremendous relief. Things kept pouring out. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to close this bag of memories.”

In the book, Billy addressed the times and environments he and his platoon endured without being overly gory with combat details or political commentary. It was just enough of both to be historical and real. His goal with the book was to be sure his children, grandchildren, and future generations would have the proper perspective of the war and the sacrifices of those who served. “It was the greatest thing I did in my life, and we were proud to wear our uniforms and do our jobs.” 

At the start of the Vietnam War there was support back home for the role Americans would play in stopping the spread of communism. As the body count grew and the political wind shifted, that support turned into widespread anti-war protests and the condemnation of returning soldiers. “We were so excited to have survived another day and looked forward to going home. It was our salvation at times in the jungle. We couldn’t wait to get home.” Unfortunately, there was no ‘Welcome home’ or ticker-tape parades for returning Vietnam War veterans. “We were called names like ‘baby-killer’ and told t take off our uniforms so nothing bad would happen to us. Some of the guys weren’t so much damaged by the war itself but by their treatment when they came home. I was one of the lucky ones because I had a wife and child to come home to.” Billy is quick to acknowledge his wife and her support over the years. 

You can hear more from Billy on National Vietnam War Veterans Day, Monday, March 29, 2021, on Wreaths Across America Radio at 10 AM and again at 4:00 PM eastern as part of our day-long programming paying tribute to our Vietnam veterans. 

As we live up to their legacy, Wreaths Across America is a Commemorative Partner of The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, and actively honors these veterans every day through the sharing of their stories and by saying “Welcome Home” every time we have the privilege of doing so.

The Mobile Education Exhibit has been on the road since February, and in that time the team has had the honor of pinning and welcoming home more than 130 Vietnam Veterans. As we do at the WAA National Museum Vietnam Veteran Welcome Home Exhibit, we ask these veterans to sign the wall as part of this presentation so their names are written for posterity and said aloud by future generations.