Senator Chuck Hagel Leads Vietnam War Anniversary Committee
The Department of Defense has selected Senator Chuck Hagel to chair the new Vietnam War Anniversary Committee.
A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Hagel joined the Army in 1968. He served, along with his brother Tom, in the United States Army’s 9th Infantry Division. While enlisted, Senator Hagel earned many military decorations and honors, including two Purple Hearts. A two-term senator from Nebraska, Senator Hagel led a successful business career after leaving the military. Throughout his career, he continued to serve veterans as President and Chief Executive Officer of the World USO, as Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration.
On Memorial Day 2012, Senator Hagel joined President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. to announce a 13-year plan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War (that’s one year for each year the war lasted).
Senator Hagel’s committee will advise on the development of an education program to preserve the legacy of our Vietnam War veterans. The committee will also provide advice, vision, and oversight to the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, as events are planned in hometowns all across the nation.
