119-hres528

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 528 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 528

Expressing support for the designation of June 19, 2025, as ``Veterans 
 of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 20, 2025

Mr. Tran submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the designation of June 19, 2025, as ``Veterans 
 of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day''.

Whereas the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, or South Vietnamese Armed 
 Forces, were formally established on December 30, 1955, by Ngo Dinh 
 Diem, the first President of South Vietnam;
Whereas the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces consisted of the Army of the 
 Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, and the Republic 
 of Vietnam Navy, which included the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division;
Whereas the duties of those branches included protecting the sovereignty of the 
 free Vietnamese nation and the Republic, maintaining the political and 
 social order and the rule of law by providing internal security, 
 defending the newly independent Republic of Vietnam from external and 
 internal threats, and helping to reunify Vietnam, a country that had 
 been divided since the Geneva Accords of 1954;
Whereas the Vietnam war brought about the loss of more than 250,000 members of 
 the South Vietnamese Armed Forces and more than 58,000 members of the 
 United States Armed Forces;
Whereas more than 300,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, and more 
 than 1,000,000 members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces, were 
 injured;
Whereas after the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, more than 250,000 members of 
 the South Vietnamese Armed Forces were sent to prison camps where many 
 spent 18 years or more in captivity, and more than 20,000 died before 
 they were released;
Whereas the end of the Vietnam war left the South Vietnamese Armed Forces in 
 disarray;
Whereas many military personnel and their family members fled Vietnam to escape 
 tyrannical authoritarian rule and oppression, hoping to find democracy 
 and freedom in the United States and other free nations;
Whereas they spent months at sea and in jungles, battling hunger, thirst, and 
 separation from their families and loved ones;
Whereas many of those who reached the United States found refuge throughout the 
 country where they faced socioeconomic challenges, but were determined 
 to build new lives here;
Whereas, in the United States, these military personnel continued to fight for 
 their home country and the people there;
Whereas they have been a strong voice for democracy, religious freedom, and 
 human rights in Vietnam, and have contributed culturally and 
 economically to American society and to the diversity of our Nation;
Whereas these veterans were fighting side-by-side with American troops against a 
 common enemy and risked their lives to save many American lives;
Whereas all veterans who risked their lives fighting for freedom in the Vietnam 
 war should be honored for their distinguished service and for the 
 contributions they continue to provide to the United States as American 
 citizens;
Whereas annually Vietnamese Americans around the world recognize the Republic of 
 Vietnam Armed Forces Day on June 19, and this year, 2025, marks the 60th 
 anniversary of this annual commemoration;
Whereas thousands of veterans of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces now reside in 
 the United States and participate in activities sponsored by American 
 veterans, including Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Independence Day; 
 and
Whereas the members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces who paid the ultimate 
 sacrifice for their nation, and those who have contributed greatly to 
 the development of American society, deserve to be honored and 
 recognized: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) supports the designation of ``Veterans of the Republic 
 of Vietnam Armed Forces Day'', in remembrance of the soldiers 
 who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy; and

    (2) honors the victims, survivors, activists, and freedom 
 fighters of the Vietnam war.
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