Hill AFB honors Utah’s fallen Vietnam War veterans

Hill AFB honors Utah’s fallen Vietnam War veterans

Since March 2015, Hill Air Force Base has honored Utah’s fallen Vietnam War veterans in each issue of the Hilltop Times. 

The tribute honored men and women from Utah who perished or went missing in the war by displaying their name, hometown, portrait (if available) and other available information regarding the veteran’s career field, years of service, date of birth and date of death. 

Today, Hill honors the last of Utah’s fallen from Vietnam — now all 364 of them have been recognized.  

This tribute was established by Team Hill’s Vietnam Commemoration Committee as part of the United States of America’s Vietnam War Commemoration program; a DOD-wide effort to give Vietnam veterans the thank you they never received when they came home from war.  

Other initiatives the committee has been involved are a benefit concert at the American Legion; a 5K run, walk, roll event; and partnering with the Vietnam Veterans of America Utah Chapter 1079 to put on last June’s Vietnam Veteran’s Welcome Home parade in Layton.  

Proceeds from the benefit concert and 5K run, walk, roll event were donated to the VVA in its initiative to bring a permanent, 80-percent-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to Utah. The wall will be located in Layton Commons Park and installed as soon as funds have been raised.

The committee hopes to continue these events each year and remain involved in supporting the VVA to bring the Wall to Utah. 

Our nation’s Vietnam War Commemoration Program has thousands of commemorative partners all across the country that are making strides to thank and honor Vietnam veterans, Hill Air Force Base being one. 

Since the start of the program in 2014, 665,000 veterans and 430,000 of their families have been honored throughout 3,558 events. This initiative includes a sustainment phase that places emphasis on education about the Vietnam War and those who fought in it.  

The program will remain active in providing resources and supplies for events, tracking progress along the way through 2025. At that point, the program hopes to have engrained a legacy of respect and honor for our Vietnam veterans that will be shared with future generations even after the Department of Defense’s heavy involvement comes to a close.

Many thanks to Mandy Medina-Sparks of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for her outstanding work in compiling the data for each of the tributes to the 364 fallen Utahns from the Vietnam War. Medina-Sparks, who has a passion for history and recognizing the significance of what America’s men and women faced for our nation, has been a huge asset to the Team Hill Vietnam Commemoration Committee. 

This tribute truly is a testament to her dedication to our veterans — and she made it possible.

If you have any questions about the Vietnam War Commemoration Program or the VVA’s initiative to bring a permanent replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to Utah, please email amy.bishop.4@us.af.mil. 

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