119-hres279

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 279 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 279

 Expressing support for designation of a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 
 Day on the last Saturday of March 2025.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 31, 2025

Ms. Sanchez (for herself, Mr. Wied, Mr. Peters, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, 
 Mr. Cohen, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, and Mr. Himes) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
 Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Expressing support for designation of a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 
 Day on the last Saturday of March 2025.

Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to 1975, and involved 
 North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflict with the United States Armed 
 Forces and South Vietnam;
Whereas the United States became involved in Vietnam because policymakers 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, 1964, and 
 August 4, 1964, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin 
 Resolution, 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 29, 1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the 
 withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam;
Whereas March 30, 1973, was the first day that combat troops were no longer 
 present in 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;
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 the last Saturday of March, 2025, would be an appropriate day to 
 establish as ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'': Now, therefore, be 
 it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) supports the designation of Welcome Home Vietnam 
 Veterans Day;

    (2) honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans of 
 the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam; and

    (3) 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.
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