GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The annual Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Day “Welcome Home” ceremony will be held Saturday, March 28 at 10 a.m., at the TAPS Monument, 915 Walnut St. 

More than 400 are expected to attend the ceremony to commemorate the National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The ceremony is open to the public. This is the sixth year of the “Welcome Home” ceremony. 

The TAPS of Veterans Memorial of Clay County is hosting the ceremony with support from county, city and community leaders.  

 All Vietnam Veterans, their families, other veterans and supporters are encouraged to attend as the 50th Commemorative lapel pins and certificates will be available. They will be presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution. As Commemorative partners, the VVA has developed a partnership with the Daughters of the American Revolution to help them with pinning opportunities. 

Jeanie Jacobs Huffman, a daughter of unaccounted for and missing Vietnam Veteran, will be the guest speaker. She is a representative for Mission: POW-MIA. The vision for the organization is to establish Mission: POW-MIA as an inclusive organization recognized for its transparency, determination, and dedication to end the uncertainty faced by generations of America’s POW-MIA families. 

There are still 1,566 missing or unaccounted-for from Vietnam. 

The TAPS monument includes the name of 66 Clay County Fallen Warriors, 21 from the Vietnam War, dating back to the 1860s. The names of the KIA will be called followed by a bell tone ring. 

Navy Master Chief Mack Ellis (retired) will present his rendition of “Old Glory."

The Navy band will perform for the arriving guests, and Craig Seaton will play a sing-along medley during the ceremony. 

Motorcycle groups – Patriot Guard and Rolling Thunder – will be conducting a ride into the ceremony. There will be an old car display along with presentations from the Military Museum of North Florida and Camp Blanding. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for the Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs. 

The National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which is Sunday, March 29, honors the U.S. military members who served during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). 

From Jan. 1, 1965, to March 28, 1973, 2.6-million military personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. Another 50,000 served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964. 

During the Vietnam Era – Aug. 5, 1965, to May 7, 1975 – more than nine million served on active duty. 

There were more than 58,000 U.S. military casualties in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. 

For more information call (904) 269-1857.