On Saturday, March 29, 2025, the West Hawaiʻi Veterans Cemetery will remain open all day, 8:00am to 5:00pm, in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day. 

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 designated every 29 March as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This special day joins six other military-centric annual observances codified in Title 4 of the United States Code §6, among them Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

Visitors may pay their respects at the Vietnam War Memorial that was dedicated on March 29, 2023. Volunteer docents from the American Legion Post No. 4 Kohala; Hawaiʻi Loa Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; the West Hawaiʻi Veterans Cemetery Development and Expansion Association; and other organizations will be available throughout the day to assist visitors.

Objects and artifacts that were left at The Wall That Heals when it was displayed in Hilo in January 2025 will be displayed, along with photos of the men from Hawaiʻi Island who were killed in Vietnam.

Vietnam War 50^th Commemoration lapel pins, certificates and ribbon lei will be offered to veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time between November 1, 1955, and May 15, 1975, regardless of location. The Vietnam 50^thCommemoration makes no distinction between veterans who served in-country, in-theater, or who were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War period. All were called to serve and none could self-determine where they would serve.

March 29 is a fitting choice for a day honoring Vietnam veterans. It was chosen to be observed in perpetuity as March 29, 1973 was the day United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished and also the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. 

In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that today there are more than 7 million U.S. Vietnam veterans living in America and abroad, along with 10 million families of those who served during this timeframe.