30-04-2025
Reflecting on the Vietnam War: Don Dare shares memories 50 years after fall of Saigon
(WATE) — April 30, 2025, marks 50 years since the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. As we reflect on the war's lasting impact, 6 News anchors Lori Tucker and Bo Williams sat down with 6 On Your Side reporter Don Dare to talk about his time serving in the United States Army during the war.
In 1968, Dare qualified for Army Officer Candidate School. He was assigned to that television division at Fort Gordon in 1969 and served there for nearly 18 months before he was sent to Vietnam. He would go home in 1972, three years before the Fall of Saigon. He shared what it was like in Vietnam and about his role in the Signal Corps.
Behind the Scenes of 'Vietnam: A Lost Generation'
'It doesn't matter what you did. This is something that I found out. I joined the Vietnam Veterans of America in the early 1990s, and one of the men who was the president had a chest full of ribbons, bravery, and it's you said it doesn't matter what you did, you were there and that's all that matters,' said Dare.
Watch the full discussion in the video player above. Dare also spoke with two East Tennessee veterans, including Bill Robinson, one of the longest-held enlisted POWs in history, about the end of the war.
Veterans Voices: Hear the stories of those who served
In addition, 6 News' parent company sent journalists to accompany veterans returning to Vietnam and confronting the painful and formative memories of their youth. What resulted is a two-part special on the Vietnam War commemorating the fall of Saigon 50 years ago. The first installment focuses on the stories of survival and loss told by those returning veterans. Vietnam: A Lost Generation is available online.
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