[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 401 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 401

      Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Vietnam Veterans Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2015

Mr. Perry submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Vietnam Veterans Day''.

Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in the Republic of South Vietnam from 1961 to 
        1975, and involved North Vietnamese regular forces and Viet Cong 
        guerrilla forces in armed conflict with the Armed Forces of the United 
        States, allies of the United States, and the armed forces of the 
        Republic of Vietnam;
Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States became involved in Vietnam because 
        the Government of the United States wanted to provide direct military 
        support to the Government of South Vietnam to defend itself against the 
        growing communist threat from North Vietnam;
Whereas members of the Armed Forces of the United States began serving in an 
        advisory role to the Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in 
        1950;
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 provided the authority to the President 
        of the United States to prosecute the war against North Vietnam;
Whereas, in 1965, ground combat units of the Armed Forces of the United States 
        arrived in Vietnam;
Whereas, by September 1965, there were more than 129,000 United States troops in 
        Vietnam, and, by 1969, a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was 
        reached;
Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace 
        in Viet-Nam (commonly known as the ``Paris Peace Accords'') was signed 
        by the United States, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Republic 
        of Vietnam, and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic 
        of South Vietnam, which required the release of all United States 
        prisoners of war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of the Armed 
        Forces of the United States from South Vietnam;
Whereas, on March 29, 1973, the Armed Forces of the United States completed the 
        withdrawal of combat units and combat support units from South Vietnam;
Whereas, on April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese regular forces captured Saigon, the 
        capital of South Vietnam, effectively placing South Vietnam under 
        communist control;
Whereas more than 58,000 members of the Armed Forces of the United States lost 
        their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000 members suffered injuries;
Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in the District of 
        Columbia to commemorate those members of the Armed Forces of the United 
        States 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 and a conflict that caused a generation of veterans to 
        wait too long for the United States public to acknowledge and honor the 
        efforts and services of such veterans;
Whereas members of the Armed Forces of the United States who served bravely and 
        faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were often 
        wrongly criticized for the policy decisions made by four Presidential 
        administrations of the United States; and
Whereas designating March 29 as ``Vietnam Veterans Day'' would be an appropriate 
        way to honor those members of the United States Armed Forces who served 
        in South Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans who 
        served in the Armed Forces of the United States in Vietnam;
            (2) encourages States and local governments to designate a 
        ``Vietnam Veterans Day''; and
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
        Vietnam Veterans Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities 
        that--
                    (A) provide the appreciation veterans of the 
                Vietnam War deserve, but did not receive upon returning 
                home from the war;
                    (B) demonstrate the resolve that never again shall 
                the people of the United States disregard or denigrate 
                a generation of veterans;
                    (C) promote awareness of the faithful service and 
                contributions of the veterans of the Vietnam War during 
                military service as well as to the communities of the 
                veterans since returning home;
                    (D) promote awareness of the importance of entire 
                communities empowering veterans and the families of 
                veterans in helping the veterans readjust to civilian 
                life after military service; and
                    (E) promote opportunities for veterans of the 
                Vietnam War to assist younger veterans returning from 
                the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in rehabilitation from 
                wounds, both seen and unseen, and to support the 
                reintegration of younger veterans into civilian life.
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