In an email sent to the Standard-Examiner this week, Dennis Howland — Utah State Council President and National At-Large Director of the Vietnam Veterans of America — announced a special program in Layton on Saturday morning to acknowledge 50 years since the war ended.

The event will include a half-mile Honor Walk from the Layton City Library at 155 N. Wasatch Drive to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Layton Commons Park. The walk is set to start lineup at 9 a.m. before proceeding to the memorial at 10 a.m. A ceremony will follow the Honor Walk at the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

“We invite everyone with a connection to the War in Southeast Asia to please join us for this day of honor and remembrance for all who served during the War’s timeframe of 1 November 1955 to May 7, 1975,” Howland  said in the email. “And to commemorate the end of the war. This includes family and comrades of the 58,000 who gave their lives and whose names are engraved on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, anyone who served at duty stations around the world in support of the War and their families, they too are veterans of this War, anyone who simply wishes to honor all who served in our Nation’s military during the War in Southeast Asia, families of those Vietnam Veterans who have since passed away, and those who lives have been taken since returning home due to their service in the War in Vietnam. We hope the Vietnamese Communities throughout Utah will also join us.”

He said accommodations are being made for those who may have difficulty traversing the full distance.

“As many who join us for this event may not be able to walk the half mile, we will have trailers to carry them from the starting point to the Wall,” he said. “We only ask that they bring their own chair to sit on the trailer.”

Howland also noted that no political signs, statements, gatherings or fundraising will be allowed at the event and anyone violating this will be asked to leave.

“This is a time to honor our military men and women who served during the War and to commemorate an important event in history,” he said. “It has absolutely nothing to do with events of today.”