WASHINGTON — Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., permanently designating March 29as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, was signed into law Tuesday by President Donald Trump.

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act represents the first federal statute recognizing the bravery and sacrifice of veterans who served during the Vietnam War.

“In many cases, Vietnam veterans did not receive the warm welcome they earned when they came home,” Toomey said in a release from his office. “Thankfully, in the years following the Vietnam War, people and organizations across the country took it upon themselves to right this wrong by honoring the sacrifice and dedication to service our Vietnam veterans displayed. Permanently designating March 29as National Vietnam War Veterans Day is a small, yet significant step, in these efforts.”

The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act is supported by the Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars.  

“For the past 27 months, I have worked on designating March 29as National Vietnam War Veterans Day and words can’t describe what the enactment of this bill means to me,” said Harold Redding, a Vietnam veteran from York who came up with the concept of the legislation.

John Biedrzycki, past commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a Vietnam veteran and resident of Coraopolis, said the national VFW supports any recognition for veterans.

“This is certainly long overdue,” he said. “Every day, as far as we’re concerned, is Veterans Day and the service and sacrifice of that generation of Americans certainly needs to be continually held in esteem.”