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HOLMDEL, N.J.-The Vietnam War was remembered today (July 26, 1999) when a new commemorative postage stamp was unveiled by the U.S. Postal Service at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
"The Vietnam War stamp will be a lasting tribute to the thousands of American men and women who served their country during the war, and particularly those who lost their lives," said David Solomon, Vice President, New York Metro Area, who unveiled the stamp.
Joining Solomon at the ceremony were New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman; Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ); Frank Delany, President, New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation; and Vito Cetta, District Manager, Central New Jersey District.
The Vietnam War stamp was selected by the public during nationwide balloting in May 1998 as one of 15 commemorative stamps saluting the 1960s. Over a two-year period the public was offered the chance to vote for stamp subjects honoring the 1950s through the 1990s, as part of the Celebrate The Century stamp and education program.
The stamps will be issued Sept. 17, 1999, in Green Bay, WI.
The Vietnam War (1954-1975) was the longest military conflict in U.S. history. The hostilities in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans. Another 304,000 were wounded.
As a result of the Geneva Conference in 1954, after France's defeat in the French Indochina war, Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam. The war began in South Vietnam as Communist-led guerrillas attempted to overthrow the South Vietnamese government.
In 1961, the U.S. began sending support troops to South Vietnam, but following the Tonkin Gulf Resolution of 1964, the war quickly escalated. Under President Richard Nixon, the U.S. began a policy of increased bombing and troop withdrawals. In 1973, a Paris cease-fire agreement allowed U.S. troops to withdraw. The war ended in 1975 with a final offensive by the North Vietnamese and the defeat of the South Vietnamese army.
The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located off the Garden State Parkway near the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel. Comprised of 366 polished black granite panels, each 8-feet high, the memorial honors all those who served and, in particular, pays tribute to New Jersey's sons and daughters who went to Southeast Asia but did not return.
Designed by Carl Herrman of Laguna Niguel, Calif., the Vietnam War stamp features a photograph by Sgt. 1st Class Howard C. Breedlove, U.S. Army DASPO, of men of the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), participating in Task Force Oregon, leaping from a chopper near Chu Lai in the spring of 1967.
The Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee recommends all stamp subjects and designs to the Postmaster General for final approval. The committee also selected the stamps to honor the 1900s through the 1940s. During month-long balloting periods, the public selected the subjects for stamps commemorating the 1950s through the 1990s.
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