More than 30 years after the end of the conflict, in March of 2012, the state of Ohio sought to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War with the passage and signing of Senate Bill 134 establishing Vietnam Veterans Day.

This year marks the first official commemoration of the day with a theme of welcoming home and honoring those who served, and remembering those who gave the last full measure of devotion. The Ohio Statehouse will commemorate the event with a display in the Statehouse Museum Gallery emphasizing the role of Ohioans in the Vietnam War, including military artifacts, such as a Congressional Medal of Honor, a brick from the Hanoi Hilton and objects used by Ohio service men and women during the war.

The closing ceremony for the 2013 observance of Vietnam Veterans Day will be held in the Ohio Statehouse Museum Gallery at 3 p.m. on March 28. This event is free and open to the public. And the Statehouse Museum Shop will offer a variety of commemorative items related to Vietnam Veterans Day. Stop by and offer your thanks to these too-often unsung veterans.