Drew Dixon
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody paid homage to Vietnam veterans during a ceremony involving an American Legion Post in Lady Lake.
About 100 veterans were venerated during the event at the American Legion Post 347, which is the largest post of the American Legion in the world.
Moody herself presented lapel pins commemorating the veterans’ service during a ceremony, marking their sacrifice and recognizing surviving spouses of service personnel who were either killed during the war or have since passed away.
“Florida is the proud home to more than 1.4 million veterans, each a living reminder of service, sacrifice, and strength. I was privileged to commemorate approximately 100 Vietnam War-era veterans and surviving spouses in Central Florida,” Moody said.
“Many of these soldiers bravely fought in faraway jungles and unimaginable conditions, and it is important to me that the U.S. never forgets those who stood strong on behalf of this nation and freedom.”
Out of those 1.4 million U.S. military veterans and families in Florida, some 423,000 of them are Vietnam veterans. There were an estimated 9 million Americans who served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War era. It’s estimated about 2.7 million of those fought in the war.
Congress established the “Vietnam War Commemoration” in 2008 to partner with community organizations and government officials to recognize Vietnam War-era service personnel.
The war claimed 58,000 U.S. soldiers who were killed while fighting. Another 300,000 American service personnel were wounded during the conflict that lasted until 1975, before American troops withdrew.
