[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 103--DESIGNATING MARCH 29, 2017, AS ``VIETNAM 
                             VETERANS DAY''

  Mr. BURR (for himself and Mr. Manchin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 103

       Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in the Republic of 
     Vietnam from 1955 to 1975 and involved regular forces from 
     the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and Viet Cong guerrilla 
     forces in armed conflict with the United States Armed Forces, 
     the armed forces of 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 support by the Armed Forces to the Government 
     of the Republic of Vietnam to defend against the growing 
     threat of Communism from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam;
       Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces began 
     serving in an advisory role to the Government of South 
     Vietnam in 1955;
       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 to the President of the United States the 
     authority to use armed force to assist the Republic of 
     Vietnam in the defense of its freedom against the Democratic 
     Republic of Vietnam;
       Whereas, in 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat 
     units arrived in the Republic of Vietnam to join an already 
     present 23,000 United States Armed Forces personnel;
       Whereas, by September 1965, there were between 150,000 and 
     190,000 United States Armed Forces troops in Vietnam, and by 
     1969, a peak number of United States Armed Forces troops in 
     Vietnam of approximately 549,500 troops was reached, 
     including United States Armed Forces members supporting the 
     combat operations from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and aboard 
     Navy vessels;
       Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the 
     War in Vietnam and Restoring Peace (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 capital 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 the Vietnam War, and more than 
     300,000 members of the United States Armed Forces were 
     wounded in Vietnam;
       Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was 
     dedicated in the District of Columbia to commemorate the 
     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 those 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 
     decisions of policymakers that were beyond the control of 
     those members of the United States Armed Forces; and
       Whereas designating March 29, 2017, as ``Vietnam Veterans 
     Day'' would be an appropriate way to honor the 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, 2017, as ``Vietnam Veterans Day'';
       (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans who 
     served in the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam or in 
     support of operations in Vietnam during war and during peace;
       (3) encourages States and local governments to designate 
     March 29, 2017, as ``Vietnam Veterans Day''; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     Vietnam Veterans Day with appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities that--
       (A) provide the appreciation that veterans of the Vietnam 
     War deserve;
       (B) demonstrate the resolve that the people of the United 
     States shall never forget the sacrifices and service of a 
     generation of veterans who served in the Vietnam War;
       (C) promote awareness of the faithful service and 
     contributions of the veterans of the Vietnam War--
       (i) during service in the United States Armed Forces; and
       (ii) 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 
     service in the United States Armed Forces; and
       (E) promote opportunities for veterans of the Vietnam War--
       (i) to assist younger veterans returning from the wars in 
     Iraq and Afghanistan in rehabilitation from wounds, both seen 
     and unseen; and
       (ii) to support the reintegration of younger veterans into 
     civilian life.

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