Vietnam Veterans Day: Stories of Loss and Honor Unfold From California to Washington
vietnam veterans day is being observed today, March 29, with veterans and families marking the moment in ceremonies and personal reflections across the country as of 8: 00 PM ET. From Big Sur Valley, California, to Washington, and to Hilo at the Keaukaha Military Reservation, the day is centering on remembrance, reunion, and the lingering weight carried by those who served. The commemoration comes as individuals recount firefights, fallen friends, and the drive to ensure names and stories are not lost.
Loss, PTSD, and a soldier’s memories on vietnam veterans day
Florencio Aguayo, 75, said he believed he was leaving the horrors of war behind when he left Vietnam more than 55 years ago—yet the war did not leave him. Aguayo, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), described death and destruction from Vietnam as a daily reminder.
Aguayo was drafted into the U. S. Army and served from 1968 to 1970. He completed basic training at Fort Ord, California, and advanced infantry training before receiving his military occupational specialty as 11 Bravo, combat infantry.
Speaking from his home in Big Sur Valley, California, Aguayo reflected on serving with the 25th Infantry Division’s 27th Regiment, known as the “Wolfhounds. ” He served in both A Company and C Company, and he said the unit still comes together for annual reunions.
As an infantryman, Aguayo recalled frequent firefights with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, often engaging with the enemy three times a week. “The first thing that came into my mind was, ‘Lord, get me through this night, and I’ll be yours in the morning, ’” Aguayo said. “I prayed to him many, many, many times. ”
Washington gathering focuses on reunion and recognition
In Washington, Vietnam veteran Jim Taylor said he is looking forward to seeing his Vietnam “band of brothers” again after a two-week trip in November in which he visited Vietnam for the first time since the war ended. “Just get a big hug from each of them because, from the day we met and as we moved forward on that trip, we became family, ” Taylor said.
Taylor, 88, who lives northeast of Sacramento, California, is in Washington to celebrate National Vietnam War Veterans Day on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Taylor retired as an Army major in 1980 and joined the service from San Francisco in 1956. He served the first 10 years of his career as an enlisted soldier, reached the rank of staff sergeant, then became a commissioned officer.
In 1968, Taylor received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson and was promoted to captain for his actions in a battle west of Que Son in November 1967. By Nov. 8, 1967, Taylor was serving as a first lieutenant in Troop B, 1st Squadron, 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment, Americal Division in Vietnam.
Taylor described returning to his battle site and thinking about Capt. John Barovetto, Staff Sgt. David Wainscott, Spc. Thomas Lee Scott, Pfc. Jerry Wayne Gentry, and Pfc. Robert Nitz—names listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall, which recognizes more than 58, 000 Americans who died or are missing in action.
Veterans United Home Loans reached out to Taylor and others about returning to Vietnam, and the group is working on producing a documentary about the 10 veterans and their trip. Veterans United Home Loans is also hosting a large-scale celebration in the nation’s capital Sunday during cherry blossom season, with an afternoon program that includes a ceremonial welcome walk and a concert.
Hilo memorial service honors Hawaii Island war dead
In Hilo on Friday at the Keaukaha Military Reservation, a memorial service hosted by the Big Island National Guard Retirees’ Association and the 1st Squadron 299th Cavalry Regiment marked National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Ray Gandy, a Vietnam veteran, played “Taps” at the Vietnam War Veterans Day Memorial Day Service.
Among those attending was Shirley Kauhaihao, 83, widow of U. S. Army 1st Lt. John Kauhaihao of Captain Cook, who was killed in action on Sept. 5, 1969, in Tay Ninh Province. Shirley Kauhaihao said the memorial bearing her husband’s name and nine others assures “these men will never be forgotten, that they will live forever. ”
John Kauhaihao was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as the Purple Heart and other military honors. His name now graces the U. S. Post Office in Captain Cook.
The service also commemorated 42 other Big Island service members’ sacrifice, alongside the 10 whose names are engraved on the memorial. One of them, Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Yano of Kealakekua, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his own life on Jan. 1, 1969, near Bien Hao to clear a helicopter of prematurely detonating explosives. Yano’s remains were re-interred on Nov. 11, 2025, Veterans Day, at the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery in Kailua-Kona.
Quick context and what happens next
March 29 is tied to the end of U. S. combat involvement: March 29, 1973, was the day U. S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished and the last American combat troops came home. The date is also described as around when Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war.
For vietnam veterans day, the next developments are expected to be continued ceremonies and public gatherings, including Sunday’s Washington events and ongoing reunions and memorial observances that keep veterans’ experiences and the names of the fallen in public view.
