SALEM, Va. (WFXR) — The main focus of the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, a national 50th anniversary commemoration is to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.

In the first half of the year, VFW Post 10840 and American Legion Post 111 of Rocky Mount held a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Park in Rocky Mount. Also the Vietnam Veterans Association in Roanoke held an event at American Legion Post 3 in Salem.

“Actually, the recognition when it first came out I was very honored that somebody finally would think about us a little bit so enough to where they would realize the need they had to do this type of celebration when I came back to this country after leaving the military in June 1974 It was not a warm welcome, and actually people don’t understand it. We are not only somewhat discriminated because we had participated in a war that people didn’t think we won, but the other aspect of that was we were discriminated in employment and some other areas too because we were Vietnam veterans so not to mention. If you were in African-American, you had to come back to the same old you might say Play racism that we left when we went into war in the first place,” said Vietnam War and U.S. Air Force Veteran Andre Peery.