[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 130--DESIGNATING MARCH 29, 2015, AS ``VIETNAM 
                             VETERANS DAY''

  Mr. BURR (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 130

       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 United States Armed Forces, allies of the 
     United States, and the armed forces of the Republic of 
     Vietnam;
       Whereas the United States Armed Forces became involved in 
     Vietnam because the United States Government 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 United States Armed Forces 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, United States Armed Forces ground combat 
     units arrived in Vietnam;
       Whereas by September 1965, there were over 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 Vietnam (commonly known as the ``Paris 
     Peace Accords'') 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 29, 1973, the United States Armed Forces 
     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 capitol of South Vietnam, effectively 
     placing South Vietnam under Communist control;
       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 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 United States Armed Forces who 
     served bravely and faithfully for the United States during 
     the Vietnam War were often wrongly criticized for the policy 
     decisions made by 4 presidential administrations in the 
     United States; and
       Whereas designating March 29, 2015, 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 Senate--
       (1) designates March 29, 2015, as ``Vietnam Veterans Day'';
       (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans who 
     served in the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam during 
     war and during peace;
       (3) encourages States and local governments to designate 
     March 29, 2015, as ``Vietnam Veterans Day''; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     the 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 and 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 Iraq 
     and Afghanistan in rehabilitation from wounds, both seen and 
     unseen, and to support the reintegration of younger veterans 
     into civilian life.

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