MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Ahead of National Vietnam War Veterans Day, the Milwaukee VA hosted a special wreath-laying ceremony to honor those who served. The ceremony was held on Friday, March 28, at Wood National Cemetery.
Three large wreaths were laid by local leaders from the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, the Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration.
It's an emotional day for local vets who attended, like Michael Malloy.
"This is an important reflection day for me because while this is listed as a 50th anniversary of the end of the war, the war did not end for us because it continued within us with our issues and in our medical issues," he said.
Another event held in Cudahy at the Kelly Senior Center was hosted by the Milwaukee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
More than a dozen veterans were there to receive special recognition for their service.
Malloy says he hopes this day serves as a reminder to people that their local veterans still need support.
"War is a crumby experience, so you're going to come back with issues, and we did that with our 10-year experience in Vietnam. The vets now, of Iraq and Afghanistan, are 20 years' worth of new veterans that have the same types of issues that they need to deal with, that we need to be supportive and understanding of," said Malloy.
Vietnam War Veterans Day was first observed in 2012. More than a thousand Wisconsinites died in the war.