IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 296 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Socialist 

Republic of Vietnam should provide former members of the Armed Forces 

of the Republic of Vietnam, who served alongside the United States 

Armed Forces in defense of their nation during the Vietnam War, with 

appropriate levels of support and services. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 28, 2017 

Mr. COOK (for himself and Mr. LOWENTHAL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the Socialist Republic of Vietnam should provide former 

members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam, who served alongside the United States Armed 

Forces in defense of their nation during the Vietnam 

War, with appropriate levels of support and services. 

Whereas the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces performed 

admirably during a long and difficult struggle; 

Whereas the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, despite political and social instability formed into an effective fighting 

force with the assistance of American advisors; 

Whereas the Army of the Republic of Vietnam bore the brunt 

of early fighting during the 1968 Tet Offensive and reVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:49 Apr 28, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR296.IH HR296

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•HRES 296 IH 

pelled Viet Cong attacks with bravery and e ́lan, in the 

words of Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, ‘‘it reacted 

strongly, quickly, and decisively. It set about the task of 

recovery with great energy’’; 

Whereas the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces displayed an 

ability to conduct independent offensive operations and 

determined resistance against incursion on multiple occasions; 

Whereas 275,000 Republic of Vietnam servicemembers lost 

their lives during the Vietnam War in defense of their 

nation; 

Whereas after the Fall of Saigon, many South Vietnamese 

veterans spent a decade or more in incarceration or reeducation camps; 

Whereas veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces, 

and their families, have during the more than four decades since the conclusion of the war comported themselves respectably and contributed importantly as citizens 

of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; 

Whereas, as many as 15,000 South Vietnamese veterans still 

reside in Vietnam, surviving with little support or acknowledgment from their government; 

Whereas those veterans and their families have in many instances not been accorded support and services comparable to that accorded their fellow citizens; and 

Whereas cemeteries and other memorials to the fallen comrades of these veterans and their families have not been 

maintained and respected appropriately: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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•HRES 296 IH 

1 (1) expresses great concern that the Socialist 

2 Republic of Vietnam fails to provide adequate sup3 port or services to thousands of South Vietnamese 

4 Veterans; 

5 (2) calls on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 

6 provide aid to Republic of Vietnam Veterans and 

7 support disabled Veterans; 

8 (3) calls on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 

9 recognize the service of South Vietnam’s Veterans as 

10 a means to heal the scars of war; 

11 (4) urges the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 

12 honor their former opponents by providing for the 

13 maintenance and upkeep of the Binh An Cemetery 

14 (formerly the Bien Hoa Military Cemetery); and 

15 (5) calls on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 

16 designate the Binh An Cemetery as a protected his17 toric site of cultural significance. 

Æ 


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