[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 485 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 485

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a ``Welcome 
           Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' should be established.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 8, 2003

Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a ``Welcome 
           Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' should be established.

Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to 1975, and involved 
        North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflict with United States Armed 
        Forces and South Vietnam;
Whereas the United States became involved in Vietnam because policy-makers in 
        the United States believed that if South Vietnam fell to a Communist 
        government then Communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast 
        Asia;
Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces began serving in an advisory 
        role to the South Vietnamese in 1961;
Whereas as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2 and 4, 1964, 
        Congress overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, (Public 
        Law 88-408), on August 7, 1964, which effectively handed over war-making 
        powers to President Johnson until such time as ``peace and security'' 
        had returned to Vietnam;
Whereas, in 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat units arrived in 
        Vietnam;
Whereas, by the end of 1965, there were 80,000 United States troops in Vietnam, 
        and by 1969 a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was reached;
Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was signed, which required the 
        release of all United States prisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and 
        the withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces from South Vietnam;
Whereas, on March 30, 1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the 
        withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam;
Whereas more than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their 
        lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces were 
        wounded;
Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in the District of 
        Columbia to commemorate those members of the United States Armed Forces 
        who died or were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam;
Whereas the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue among the people of the 
        United States;
Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces who served bravely and 
        faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were caught upon 
        their return home in the crossfire of public debate about the involvment 
        of the United States in the Vietnam War;
Whereas the establishment of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' would be an 
        appropriate way to honor those members of the United States Armed Forces 
        who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and
Whereas March 30 would be an appropriate day to establish as ``Welcome Home 
        Vietnam Veterans Day'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
there should be established a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' to 
honor those members of the United States Armed Forces who served in 
Vietnam.
                                 <all>