Who:

U.S. Postal Service

What:

Special unveiling and dedication ceremony for the Medal of Honor: Vietnam War stamps during the Veterans + Labor – Partners in Service Veterans Day recognition event

When:

2:00 p.m. PT
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015

(Veterans + Labor – Partners in Service Veterans Day event open 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

Where:

Orange County Fair and Events Center
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa CA 92626

Enter Gate 1 from Fair Drive

Background:

Several million service men and women fought in the Vietnam War, which claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans. Two hundred fifty-eight people who served during this conflict received the Medal of Honor. More than six out of ten recipients were honored posthumously.

On May 25, 2015, in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Postal Service issued the Medal of Honor: Vietnam War stamps recognizing the 258 recipients who distinguished themselves through unfathomable circumstances during the Vietnam conflict.

The Medal of Honor: Vietnam War prestige folio stamp sheet depicts 48 of the more than 50 living Vietnam War recipients (some chose not to have their name and/or photograph included). The folio, which lists the names of the recipients, is modeled after the Medal of Honor: World War II and Medal of Honor: Korean War prestige folio stamp sheets issued in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

The Medal of Honor, our nation’s most prestigious military decoration, is awarded by the president of the United States to members of the armed forces who distinguished themselves “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States.

There are now three similar, yet distinct, versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each Military Department (Army, Navy and Air Force). The medals are similar in that each consists of a variation of a five-pointed star worn around the neck on a light blue ribbon. The Navy version is awarded to those serving in the Navy and Marine Corps, and during times of war, to members of the Coast Guard. The Air Force, which was established as an independent department in 1947, adopted its distinctive Medal of Honor in 1965. The first presentation of the U.S. Air Force’s medal took place in 1967 during the Vietnam War.

Veterans + Labor – Partners in Service is a project sponsored by California unions that spearheads helping veterans receive the support they’ve earned and the services they need.