TITLE: Recognizing April 9, 2011, as Welcome Home South Texas Vietnam Veterans Day.

SUMMARY: Recognizing April 9, 2011, as Welcome Home South Texas Vietnam Veterans Day.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, April 9, 2011, is being celebrated as Welcome Home South Texas Vietnam Veterans Day and is being commemorated at the Landing Zone For Troops in the Rio Grande Valley (LZ:RGV), an all-day series of events designed to acknowledge and thank veterans of the Vietnam War; and WHEREAS, The conflict in Southeast Asia was a divisive time in our nation's history, and Vietnam veterans often returned home to little fanfare; due to the controversy surrounding the war, they rarely received the gratitude and respect they deserved; the LZ:RGV is intended to correct that lack of recognition and to officially welcome a number of Vietnam veterans back home to South Texas; and WHEREAS, Communities from across the Rio Grande Valley have united in support of the LZ:RGV, and many organizations and individuals are working to make it a success; sponsors include the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Veterans Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley, the Rio Grande Guardian,The Monitor,the City of McAllen, the City of Edinburg, Total Imaging Solutions, Entravision Communications Corporation, and Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia; and WHEREAS, The celebration is being held at the McAllen Convention Center, which was offered at no charge for the event, and up to 15,000 people are expected to attend; beginning with a dedication ceremony at the Veterans War Memorial of Texas, adjacent to the convention center, the program for the LZ:RGV includes exhibits, documentaries, and speakers; in the evening, a salute to veterans is being featured, followed by a closing concert; and WHEREAS, Of the 2.59 million Americans who answered their nation's call to duty during the Vietnam War, more than 58,000 sacrificed their lives, among them 3,400 Texans; many more thousands of military personnel were wounded, with 75,000 severely disabled; in addition, a large number of men were held as POWs, and today, approximately 2,000 Americans who served in the war remain missing; and WHEREAS, Brave and steadfast during one of the most difficult conflicts in this nation's history, Vietnam War veterans are worthy of our utmost respect and appreciation, and this extensive celebration justly honors their courageous efforts; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize April 9, 2011, as Welcome Home South Texas Vietnam Veterans Day and pay tribute to those area Texans who served their country during the Vietnam War. Pena Guillen Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 380 was adopted by the House on March 31, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House