April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

The state of Michigan is recognizing its veterans who served in the Vietnam War era with a special certificate program developed by the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate honors a generation of veterans — both alive and deceased — who were treated poorly by many fellow citizens for serving in an unpopular war and who found VA benefits lacking when they returned home in the 1960s and ’70s.

More than 400,000 Michigan servicemen and women served during the Vietnam War era. A total of 2,651 Michigan service members lost their lives in the Vietnam War, including seven from Livingston County.

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (1-800-MICH-VET) is facilitating the certificate program. Veterans or their representatives can submit their information for a certificate at Michigan.gov/VietnamCertificate.

The certificate is available to those who served during the Vietnam War era (Feb. 28, 1961-May 7, 1975); were honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances; and are citizens of Michigan or were citizens of the state while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, which includes the Michigan National Guard and Reserve.

The certificate also includes an option of a special designation recognizing individuals who were exposed to Agent Orange during their service. To receive this designation, the service member must have been exposed to dioxin or phenoxy herbicides, as evidenced by a medical diagnosis of a disease associated with dioxin or phenoxy herbicides.

According to VA projections, there were 191,632 Vietnam War-era veterans living in Michigan in 2020, making it the largest veteran population of any era. However, that population is expected to fall to 155,121 by 2025 and will be surpassed by the number of Gulf War veterans, at 167,609.

David Mester played a key role in getting the legislation for the Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate passed. Mester, a Marine Corps veteran from Livingston County, received the first certificate on Aug. 1 in recognition of his service in the Vietnam War and his exposure to Agent Orange. The certificate is signed by Gov. Whitmer and Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, Michigan’s adjutant general.

“The Vietnam veterans’ Agent Orange certificate recognizes veterans affected by Agent Orange and provides closure to widows and families who lost loved ones from this deadly defoliant,” Mester said.


Photo caption: Livingston County’s David Mester, left, receives the first Michigan Vietnam Veteran Recognition Certificate Aug. 1 from Army Brig. Gen. Lawrence Schloegl. Photo courtesy of Michigan National Guard.