On this day, 23 April 1971, nearly 1,000 Vietnam War veterans returned their combat medals to the government. The Vietnam Vets had planned to return the medals in body bags but authorities erected a fence around the Capitol building so the veterans threw their medals over it.
Some of the Vets, before tossing their medals, dedicated them to comrades - both American and Vietnamese - who had died in battle.
More info about this in our podcast about GI resistance to the Vietnam war: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/08/06/e10-the-gi-resistance-in-vietnam-part-1/ https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1408411826010630/?type=3