III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 222 

Expressing the approval of Congress for the 50th anniversary celebration 

of the homecoming of United States prisoners of war from Vietnam 

and in recognition of the extraordinary service and sacrifices of such 

prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 18, 2023 

Mr. CARPER (for himself and Mr. MORAN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the approval of Congress for the 50th anniversary 

celebration of the homecoming of United States prisoners 

of war from Vietnam and in recognition of the extraordinary service and sacrifices of such prisoners of war 

during the Vietnam War. 

Whereas more than 2,700,000 members of the United States 

Armed Forces served in the Vietnam War; 

Whereas more than 58,000 members of the United States 

Armed Forces lost their lives and more than 300,000 

were wounded; 

Whereas, during the conflict, approximately 766 members of 

the Armed Forces of the United States were taken captive as prisoners of war by the Government of the DemoVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:48 May 18, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR222.ATS SR222

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•SRES 222 ATS 

cratic Republic of Vietnam and the allies of that Government; 

Whereas prisoners of war, the majority of which were aviators, included members of the Air Force, Navy, Army, 

Marine Corps, and United States civilians, and during 

captivity the prisoners endured brutal conditions, including torture, forced labor, and prolonged solitary confinement; 

Whereas prisoners of war were held in more than a dozen 

prisons throughout North Vietnam and elsewhere, including in the infamous prison camp known to the prisoners 

of war from the United States as the ‘‘Hanoi Hilton’’, 

but despite the challenging conditions, many of the prisoners of war held by the North Vietnamese and the allies 

of the North Vietnamese maintained their honor, resilience, and loyalty to their country and fellow members of 

the Armed Forces; 

Whereas the return of the prisoners of war was a nonnegotiable condition for President Richard Nixon as his administration negotiated an end to the Vietnam War; 

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, requiring the return of the United States prisoners of war within 60 days of the signing of the agreement; 

Whereas, between February and April 1973, 591 prisoners of 

war were released by the North Vietnamese and their allies; 

Whereas 116 prisoners of war died in captivity; 

Whereas the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (referred to 

in this preamble as ‘‘POW/MIA’’) movement in the 


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•SRES 222 ATS 

United States, and the National League of POW/MIA 

Families, made a tremendous effort to return the prisoners of war held by the North Vietnamese and their allies to the United States; 

Whereas, in 1972, the National League of POW/MIA Families adopted the National POW/MIA flag, which flies over 

Federal buildings, including the United States Capitol, 

on days the United States flag is flown; 

Whereas, 50 years after the prisoners of war held by the 

North Vietnamese gained their freedom, the resilience, 

courage, and patriotism of the prisoners of war continues 

to inspire generations of citizens of the United States; 

and 

Whereas the Richard Nixon Presidential Library will host the 

official 50th Anniversary celebration of the homecoming 

of United States POWs from Vietnam, from May 23 to 

25, 2023, in Yorba Linda, California: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses approval for the 50th anniversary 

3 celebration of the homecoming of United States pris4 oners of war from Vietnam; and 

5 (2) recognizes the extraordinary service and 

6 sacrifices of the United States prisoners of war dur7 ing the Vietnam War. 

Æ 


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