IIA 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 17 

To acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of veterans of the Vietnam war 

and formally apologize for the treatment they received upon returning home. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2023 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. CASSIDY, 

Mr. BUDD, Mr. WICKER, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CORNYN, and 

Mr. HOEVEN) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read 

twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

To acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of veterans of 

the Vietnam war and formally apologize for the treatment they received upon returning home. 

Whereas members of the Armed Forces of the United States 

began serving in an advisory role to the Government of 

South Vietnam in 1955; 

Whereas, in 1965, ground combat units of the Armed Forces 

of the United States arrived in the Republic of Vietnam 

to join approximately 23,000 personnel of the Armed 

Forces who were already present there; 

Whereas, by 1969, the number of such troops reached a peak 

of approximately 549,500, including members of the 


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•SJ 17 IS 

Armed Forces in the region who were supporting the 

combat operations; 

Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Agreement on Ending 

the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam (commonly 

known as the ‘‘Paris Peace Accords’’) was signed, which 

required the release of all prisoners of war of the United 

States held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all 

Armed Forces of the United States from South Vietnam; 

Whereas, on March 29, 1973, the Armed Forces of the 

United States completed the withdrawal of combat units 

and combat support units from South Vietnam; 

Whereas, on April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, effectively 

placing South Vietnam under Communist control; 

Whereas more than 58,000 members of the Armed Forces of 

the United States lost their lives in the Vietnam war, and 

more than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces of the 

United States were wounded in Vietnam; 

Whereas many thousands of veterans of the Vietnam war 

were exposed to Agent Orange and other harmful herbicides during the course of their service, carrying home 

delayed wounds of toxic exposure at the highest rate of 

any generation of veterans before; 

Whereas the Vietnam war was an extremely divisive issue 

back home in the United States, as a result of biased and 

shameful attacks from the media, academia, politicians, 

and many others; 

Whereas some opponents of the war did not limit their opposition to normal political discourse, but engaged in violent 

protests, including the targeting of Reserve Officers’ 

Training Corps facilities and recruiting stations and the 


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bombing of the Army Mathematics Research Center at 

the University of Wisconsin-Madison; 

Whereas members of the Armed Forces who served bravely 

and faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam 

war were repeatedly targeted with shameful attacks as 

the result of decisions that were beyond their control; and 

Whereas Vietnam Veterans Day will be observed on March 

29, 2023, which marks the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. RESOLUTION OF APOLOGY TO VETERANS OF 

4 THE VIETNAM WAR. 

5 The United States, acting through Congress— 

6 (1) recognizes the extraordinary sacrifice of vet7 erans of the Vietnam war and commends them for 

8 their unwavering and courageous sacrifice to the 

9 United States; 

10 (2) urges the President to formally acknowledge 

11 the widespread mistreatment of veterans of the Viet12 nam war as part of the ongoing Vietnam War Com13 memoration; 

14 (3) on behalf of the people of the United States, 

15 issues the long overdue formal apology to veterans of 

16 the Vietnam war and their families for the mistreat17 ment they endured during and after the war; and 


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1 (4) expresses urgent support for increased edu2 cation in the schools of the United States to better 

3 reflect the courage and sacrifice of veterans of the 

4 Vietnam war and the lack of support back home. 

Æ 


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