[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 24, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3773-H3777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WELCOME HOME VIETNAM VETERANS DAY

  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 234) expressing support for designation of a 
``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day''.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 234

       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 involvement of the 
     United States in the Vietnam War;

[[Page H3774]]

       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, 2009, would be an appropriate day to 
     establish as ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans of 
     the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the 
     contributions of veterans who served in Vietnam and the 
     importance of helping Vietnam era veterans re-adjust to 
     civilian life.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cummings). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Halvorson) and the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 234. This 
resolution before us today establishes March 30, 2009, as a day to 
honor and recognize the contributions of veterans of the Vietnam War.
  As a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I have had 
the opportunity to hear the accounts of many Vietnam veterans. I hear 
the pride that came with the duty of defending their country, and I 
hear the anguish that they felt coming home to a country that confused 
the war and the warrior.
  I encourage all Americans to reach out to veterans, especially our 
Vietnam veterans. Thank them and their families for their amazing 
sacrifice, understand more about their great contributions to our 
country, and gain the wisdom of their personal stories of our Nation's 
history.
  There are more than 24 million veterans living in this country today, 
including 8.2 million veterans that served during the Vietnam War. Of 
these veterans, 2.6 million served in country.
  More than 58,000 members in our military lost their lives in Vietnam. 
Tragically, American casualties continued to climb after the war, as a 
result of suicides, substance abuse, and homelessness among these 
veterans and their families.
  More than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces were reported wounded 
as a result of the Vietnam War. Today, this number also continues to 
grow, as more and more of our Vietnam veterans are feeling the effects 
of Agent Orange.
  Approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides were used in Vietnam 
between 1962 and 1971 to remove unwanted vegetation that provided cover 
for enemy forces during the war. Shortly following their military 
services in Vietnam, some veterans reported a variety of health 
problems and concerns due to exposure to Agent Orange. Modern science 
clearly establishes that the symptoms of many degenerative diseases can 
take decades to onset.
  Too many Vietnam veterans are suffering from conditions that resulted 
from their service to our country, yet are not considered service-
connected by our government. Time is running out for many of our 
Vietnam veterans. Many have already lost the battle. And those who 
remain, along with their families, are fighting for their lives every 
day.

                              {time}  1415

  The Vietnam War was a very divisive time, and too many Americans, 
myself included, confused the war and the warrior. We did not provide 
the support, the care, the compassion, and the love that our dedicated 
servicemembers earned and deserved.
  Many of our finest leaders, both military and political, have been 
quoted as saying that they did not believe that the men who served in 
uniform in Vietnam were given the credit they deserve.
  In that spirit, the House of Representatives takes this step to 
recognize the contributions of brave veterans who served in Vietnam and 
the continued importance of helping Vietnam-era veterans readjust to 
civilian life.
  So I ask my colleagues to join me in showing our gratitude to those 
brave men and women who served during the Vietnam War. Mr. Speaker, I 
urge strong support for House Resolution 234.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his quick consideration of the 
bill, House Resolution 234, a resolution expressing support for the 
designation of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.'' I commend my 
colleague, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez of California, for introducing 
this resolution.
  The desire to welcome home our Nation's Vietnam veterans is strong 
across the country. It has now been 36 years since the American troops 
left Vietnam. It was March 30, 1973, when the United States Army 
completed the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam.
  Last Congress, we passed House Resolution 1231, a bill that 
recognizes the importance of Vietnam Veterans Day. In that legislation, 
we urged Americans to recognize the date and participate in local 
events. Across the Nation, several States have already organized 
Welcome Home events for Vietnam veterans on March 28 and March 29 of 
this year. This legislation before us would continue our support for 
this effort; provide honor and recognition of the contributions of 
veterans of the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam, and encourages the 
people of the United States to observe Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 
Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 234.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from 
California, the sponsor of this resolution, Ms. Sanchez.
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
strong support of House Resolution 234, expressing support for Welcome 
Home Vietnam Veterans Day.
  I want to thank Chairman Bob Filner and Ranking Member Steve Buyer 
for their strong commitment to all of America's veterans. Their 
leadership has been instrumental in bringing this important resolution 
to the floor today.
  As a Nation, we honor those who defend us with statues, memorials, 
holidays, and praise. But as a people, we have not always fulfilled our 
duty to properly recognize those fellow citizens who put themselves in 
harm's way to keep us safe and protect our freedom, and no fellow 
citizens did we let down more than those who served bravely in Vietnam. 
They came home to a time of civil unrest and social turmoil, a time 
when opposition to the war too easily turned into opposition to those 
young men and women who served in it.
  Unlike the GIs who served in previous conflicts, many Vietnam 
servicemembers came home not to a welcome back parade, but to 
hostility, ridicule, and bitter criticism. This cold reception, in 
addition to the brutal realities of serving in Vietnam, interfered with 
some veterans' efforts to transition back into their communities and 
establish a sense of normalcy. Just when they needed someone to lend an 
ear or a helping hand, too many found a cold shoulder.
  By encouraging Americans to observe Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 
Day, my resolution seeks to provide these heroes the welcome home that 
they always deserved but that too many never received.
  Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day is the culmination of years of 
effort on the part of my constituent, Jose Ramos, himself a Vietnam 
veteran. As an Army combat medic in Vietnam, Jose Ramos was victim to 
the indifferent and often hostile public reaction upon returning home. 
It was his personal experiences and those of his fellow GIs that 
motivated him to work toward establishing a national day of 
recognition. His work inspired many, including me, to help give Vietnam 
veterans their long overdue welcome home.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. The gentlelady is granted an additional 30 seconds.
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. While today's resolution may seem 
like a small gesture when compared to what our soldiers and their 
families sacrificed, it certainly is, it

[[Page H3775]]

will serve to remind us of their service to our country.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join in honoring 
Vietnam veterans by participating in Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day 
events in their communities next year. Today, I ask for their vote.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Cao).
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
234, to establish a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. My family and I 
are direct beneficiaries of the sacrifice and service of the men and 
women who served this great Nation during the years of conflict in 
Vietnam.
  I was born in Vietnam in 1967, during the most turbulent year of the 
war and while American troops were engaged in combat there. In 1975, my 
father, an army officer, was captured by the communist forces and sent 
to a re-education camp for nearly 7 years. I was 8 years old when I 
left my home country and came to America to make a new life with the 
tools of freedom and democracy that this great Nation stands for.
  To the hundreds of thousands of veterans who returned from the 
Vietnam War, I say to you that your dedicated service to your country 
and mine is remembered by millions every day. I thank you for having 
fought for democracy and freedom even in the farthest reaches of the 
globe.
  To each of the 58,256 servicemembers whose names appear on the solemn 
granite wall along the National Mall, I say to you that your ultimate 
sacrifice will never be forgotten. Your memories live on today through 
the millions of people throughout the world enjoying the opportunities, 
liberties, and freedom that you have fought so long and hard for.
  Mr. Speaker, as we reflect today on the sacrifice and service of 
Vietnam veterans, I ask all Americans to consider our servicemembers 
engaged today around the globe. Currently, in Iraq and Afghanistan, we 
have nearly 200,000 service men and women serving this Nation 
honorably. During the course of these conflicts, 4,716 servicemembers 
have lost their lives and another 33,852 have been wounded fighting 
nobly to defeat terrorism and to bring freedom and democracy to 
oppressed people. We thank them and their families for their service, 
and they will never be forgotten.
  As we chart the way forward in these conflicts, it is our obligation 
to ensure that the gains we and our coalition partners have made are 
not for naught, and that we continue on the fight to bring peace, 
democracy, and freedom to these nations that have been damaged and 
broken by brutal regimes.
  Mr. Speaker, while I am struck by the fact that it is only today, 
some 34 years later, that we are establishing a day to welcome home 
from the Vietnam War some of America's bravest, I am pleased that I, a 
direct beneficiary of their service, can take part in this historic 
event.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Nye).
  Mr. NYE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 543,000 troops who 
fought valiantly against communist forces in Vietnam. During that 
conflict, more than 58,000 brave Americans lost their lives, and over 
300,000 were physically wounded. Yet, when our veterans returned home, 
our Nation too often failed to appreciate the sacrifices they had made 
on behalf of our freedom.
  Thirty years earlier, we opened our arms to the soldiers returning 
from World War II, but for those coming home from Vietnam we failed to 
do the same. Instead of respecting their service, our Nation largely 
shunned these young servicemembers for doing the job that they had, in 
most cases, been drafted to perform. We did not comprehend nor did we 
respect the difficulties that many of them faced in transitioning back 
to civilian life after the horrors they had witnessed in combat.
  The legacy of our failure to welcome our veterans home is still with 
us today. Every night, roughly 154,000 veterans are homeless, and 45 
percent of these are from the Vietnam era. To allow those that fought 
for our safety to live on the streets is a black mark on the history of 
our Nation, and it is a warning to present and future generations of 
what must never happen again.
  I believe the designation of March 30 as the Welcome Home Vietnam 
Veterans Day is the least we can do to begin righting these wrongs. And 
as we do, let us also pledge to honor our commitment to the men and 
women who served in Vietnam, to give them the full care and benefits 
that they have earned, and to make sure that no veteran, past, present, 
or future, is ever forgotten again.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Miller).
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the gentleman 
for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, how amazing, quite amazing that we just heard this 
testimony and these remarks from our colleague from Louisiana, 
Representative Cao. But if there is any reason for our colleagues to 
support this resolution, it is by the words that he just spoke. What an 
unbelievable story he told. He is a Vietnamese-American, his father for 
7 years in a re-education camp in Vietnam, and here he is as a result 
of our men and women fighting for freedom and democracy and liberty. 
That is certainly a vivid demonstration of why we need to pass this 
resolution today. I certainly support Resolution 234, which will 
designate a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.
  My district in McComb County, Michigan, is actually home to I think 
one of if not the largest chapter of Vietnam veterans, Chapter 154, in 
the entire Nation.
  My husband, a very proud Vietnam veteran, actually flew F-102s with 
the 509th Fighter-Interceptor group from air bases in both Danang and 
Saigon. These veterans served our Nation faithfully and with 
distinction and honor. But, to our everlasting shame, they received a 
horrible homecoming.
  One of the saddest times, Mr. Speaker, in American history was the 
way that we treated our Vietnam veterans when they returned from 
combat. Caught in the crossfire of the debate on the war in our Nation, 
they came home to taunts, insults, and worse. These brave men and 
women, these great war fighters, these great patriots, these great 
Americans, they answered our Nation's call to fight, and they fought, 
they bled, and they died in the service of our country.
  Not only did they have to bear their physical and psychological 
wounds of warfare, Mr. Speaker, but our Nation did not recognize them 
as the heroes that they were and that they are. There were no parades 
and no yellow ribbons and no thanks for serving when our Nation asked 
them to do so, and they stepped forward to defend freedom and liberty 
and democracy.
  These men and women deserved better, Mr. Speaker. And although it has 
taken many years to rectify the injustice some of our fellow citizens 
visited upon our Vietnam veterans, today we can honor them, and we 
should, with a day to welcome them home properly. The Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial here in Washington is one of the most visited memorials. This 
wall stands as a reminder that 58,000 of our fellow countrymen paid the 
ultimate price, and we must never forget them.
  We owe our Nation's veterans a debt that can never be fully repaid, 
but we want to thank them for their service and their sacrifice on 
behalf of our great Nation, and all of us will continue to work the 
halls of Congress to ensure that our veterans get the care, the help, 
the recognition, and the benefits that they so richly deserve. I know 
that I have a MIA/POW flag hanging right outside the door of my 
Congressional office, and if you walk up and down the halls of 
Congress, you will see many, many others displayed here as well.

                              {time}  1430

  We can never forget.
  And I would encourage every community in America to observe the 
``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' so that we never forget our 
veterans' bravery, courage and sacrifice. And today let me say 
``welcome home.''
  I ask all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)

[[Page H3776]]

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the gentlewoman for her 
leadership. And I appreciate my good friend and colleague, 
Congresswoman Sanchez, and the manager of this bill for your great 
leadership, as well, in handling this legislation that simply says a 
huge and overdue ``thank you.'' And so I am pleased to stand on the 
floor of the House to support H. Res. 234 because I believe I was 
touched by this experience in this war, recognizing that as I would 
listen to Vietnam vets, those returning soldiers, speak in a language 
that we did not understand, talking about the places where they fought, 
speaking as if they were distant. Now I understand and hope we all 
understand as Americans that the war of a soldier is America's war. It 
is not a public-policy war. So we should stand with our soldiers who 
fight for our freedom no matter where they are.
  I am honored today to be able to support this legislation because as 
a member of the Houston City Council, I joined with former council 
member Ben Reyes to raise the first POW/MIA flags in tribute to our 
fallen and missing soldiers in Vietnam. Those flags now stand today in 
front of the Houston City Hall. And I'm honored to have had the 
opportunity to be part of it.
  Our soldiers deserve this welcome home. And more importantly, they 
deserve our understanding. So many of the Vietnam vets are homeless. 
And we should stand alongside of them. For many years, I participated 
in what we call ``Stand Down'' to bring our soldiers together.
  I want to thank the Medal of Honor winners who always come to our 
Memorial Day service and sing their heart out and lead us in the Pledge 
of Allegiance.
  I want to thank Vietnam vets like Antonio ``Tony'' Roman and John 
Footman, who today serve their country by being part of the Military 
Order of the Purple Heart working with our young soldiers.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no honor--there is no honor that is too high 
for the soldiers who shed their blood, suffer and, of course, sacrifice 
on our behalf, those soldiers whose lives are lost, those soldiers who 
have come back to us, Vietnam vets deserve our honor. Today now we 
stand to welcome them home. Never will we turn our back. Always the 
light will be on. We welcome them home.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 234, ``Expressing support 
for designation of a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.' '' I want to 
thank my colleague Congresswoman Linda Sanchez of California for 
introducing this resolution.
  Few groups of Americans have sacrificed for our nation than those who 
have served in the Armed Forces. The war in Vietnam no longer makes 
headlines, but for many families it remains a daily reality, and I urge 
my colleagues to recognize the challenges that the families of these 
brave soldiers face and support this resolution in their honor.
  Mr. Speaker, 2,637,100 people fought through the triumph and tragedy 
of the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, 58,000 never returned home again! If 
these now silent patriots have taught us anything, it is that because 
of these men and women who were willing to sacrifice their last blood 
and breath, the United States remains a symbol of freedom and a country 
whose ideas are still worth defending. As a result, these brave men and 
women memories should be preserved and honored for future generations 
in this great nation.
  It was Edmund Burke who once aptly stated: ``The only thing necessary 
for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'' The birth of 
our nation itself was due to good men who refused to submit to an 
unjust rule. Time after time, in battle after battle American men and 
women have not fled from mortal danger, no instead they have rushed 
towards it. Our brave soldiers built this nation, first with 
independence, then with the righteousness of eliminating slavery, and 
finally in the last century they built this nation in the eyes of the 
world, not only as a superpower, but as a nation that values humanity 
and kindness over the tyranny of others.
  I see this same courage and strength in the eyes of our current 
generation of soldiers. They bear the burden of a new world, in which 
the greatest threats against our life and freedom are often unseen. 
They also bear the hope of a nation and a world that clings to the hope 
of peace and stability. It was the great statesman Adlai Stevenson who 
said: ``Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but 
the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.'' It is clear that 
the torch has been passed to a new generation of men and women willing 
to dedicate their lives to protecting ours. Our nation is truly blessed 
in so many ways, but our soldiers continue to be the greatest 
protectors of our blessings.
  Because I feel so strong about our men and women fighting abroad and 
our veterans who served our nation, I will continue to advocate for 
their rights in Congress, and I urge my colleagues to fight as well.
  Mr. Speaker, now is the time for the U.S. government to again fulfill 
our moral obligation to those who have fought for freedom and 
democracy. In the State of Texas we have 1,701,118 veterans, in fact in 
the 18th Congressional district of Texas alone there are more than 
38,000 veterans and they make up almost ten percent of this district's 
civilian population over the age of 18. Yet we often forget about our 
men and women fighting abroad once the war is over. We must never 
forget veterans and we must never stop fighting for their rights as 
they fought for ours.
  Vietnam Veterans like Antonio ``Tony'' Roman and John Footman, who 
continue to give back to their country and their fellow young military 
forces by working with the Military Order of the Purple Heart and by 
standing in the rain or the heat to be there when our Soldiers and 
Marines return from deployment. I meet with great men from Texas who 
are Vietnam Veterans, and our newer Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
and Operation Enduring Freedom--and I see their continuing need for our 
support.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 234, 
``Expressing support for designation of a `Welcome Home Vietnam 
Veterans Day'.''
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. I would like to know if there are any further 
speakers.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. I have no other speakers at this time.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. Then we reserve the balance of our time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution. It is 
long overdue. And I encourage Members to sponsor a ``Welcome Home 
Vietnam Veterans Day'' in their districts.
  I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on House Resolution 234.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 234, 
expressing support for designation of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 
Day.''
  The very fact that we are deliberating about a ``welcome home'' for 
Vietnam veterans in 2009, decades after our participation in that 
conflict came to an end, says it all. Don't get me wrong. Those 
veterans eminently deserve that welcome, and the thanks for serving our 
Nation that comes with it. But it remains far too long overdue. Those 
veterans should have been welcomed home from day one. And yet, as the 
resolution says, ``the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue 
among the people of the United States'' and so ``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 involvement of the United States 
in the Vietnam War.''
  I want to thank those veterans not just for their service to our 
Nation in Vietnam, but for their service to our Nation upon their 
return, service that forms the backbone of support for veterans today. 
As we have confronted yet another divisive war these last few years, we 
have welcomed our returning servicemen and--women differently, honoring 
them appropriately and immediately. And that is largely because of 
those veterans of Vietnam.
  As a 24-year veteran myself and as a member of the House Veterans 
Affairs Committee, I have seen a remarkable thing happen. Time and time 
again, I have heard Vietnam veterans--from witnesses at committee 
hearings and elsewhere--make clear that we cannot let one generation of 
veterans abandon another. We have to make sure this new generation of 
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans do not have to go through all the 
hardships we know all too well are awaiting them if we do not act to 
prevent them.
  Whether it be access to VA health care, the specific mental health 
issues that some veterans face after the war, the problem of 
homelessness among

[[Page H3777]]

veterans, preventing our veterans from ending up incarcerated, or even 
the public perception of veterans and the way veterans think about and 
understand themselves as veterans--we know the dangers that are out 
there, thanks in no small part to Vietnam veterans working together, 
and we know we have to act aggressively to make sure we fulfill our 
commitment to our newest veterans.
  For my part, I see no more important task as a member of Congress and 
of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
  But I also have to say, I think something else has started to happen 
as we as a country have worked to honor and do justice to the veterans 
of our current conflicts--regardless of how we feel individually about 
the war itself. I think just as Vietnam veterans have done for Iraq and 
Afghanistan veterans what World War I veterans did for World War II 
veterans, supporting the next generation of veterans, I think our 
society's treatment of our newest veterans has begun a really renewed 
appreciation for and a different, more positive public perception of 
Vietnam veterans themselves.
  What you all went through when you came home is something that never 
should be repeated. And it should not have happened in the first place. 
But it says something about you as a group and America as a society 
that we have finally, I think, started to move away from the ugliness 
of that time, and from the stereotypes and cliches about Vietnam 
veterans.
  The new congressional majority that I was a part of forming in 2006 
committed to making our military and our veterans an absolutely top 
priority. And we did that last Congress, and we continue to do that in 
this new Congress. Last Congress, we passed the largest veterans 
funding increase in history, increasing pay for our military and 
providing them with more of the protection they need when they go into 
battle, passing into law a historic new GI Bill that should do for our 
21st century veterans what the original GI Bill did after World War II.
  And we will continue that work in this Congress, putting America's 
veterans first and working to provide them with the care and benefits 
they deserve.
  The debt we owe those who serve our country honorably in the military 
is never fully paid. But we owe that obligation to our veterans, and it 
begins with a full welcome home. The Nation can never fully repair the 
damage done with the failure to immediately and fully welcome home our 
veterans from Vietnam. But it is never too late to continue recognizing 
the obligation we owe you, and thanking you for what you have done and 
what you continue to do.
  Mr. McMAHON. Mr. Speaker I rise in support of House Resolution 234.
  Designating March 30th as ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' is 
long overdue.
  This day is not only in remembrance of the over 58,000 members of the 
Armed Services that lost their lives in Vietnam, but serves as a lesson 
in conduct and appropriate public debate in regards to our veterans.
  March 30th, 1973, has taught us lessons that unfortunately will soon 
be very relevant to the present day.
  No matter the various views of the war in Iraq, I am confident that 
our servicemen and women will return home to an atmosphere of 
appreciation and reception.
  Unfortunately, the 543,000 troops that returned from Vietnam did not 
all receive the same respect, but their legacy has ensured a brighter 
future and degree of tolerance exercised towards the next generation of 
armed servicemembers.
  Mrs. HALVORSON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously 
support House Resolution 234.
  I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Halvorson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 234.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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