III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 55 

Expressing support for designation of a ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 

Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2011 

Mr. BURR (for himself, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. 

ISAKSON, and Mr. JOHANNS) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

MARCH 7, 2011 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of a ‘‘Welcome Home 

Vietnam Veterans Day’’. 

Whereas the Vietnam War was fought in the Republic of 

South Vietnam from 1961 to 1975, and involved North 

Vietnamese regular forces and Viet Cong guerrilla forces 

in armed conflict with United States Armed Forces and 

the Army of the Republic of Vietnam; 

Whereas the United States Armed Forces became involved in 

Vietnam because the United States Government wanted 

to provide direct military support to the Government of 

South Vietnam to defend itself against the growing Communist threat from North Vietnam; 


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SRES 55 ATS 

Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces began 

serving in an advisory role to the Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in 1961; 

Whereas, as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2 and 4, 1964, Congress overwhelmingly passed the 

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Public Law 88–408), on August 7, 1964, which provided the authority to the President of the United States to prosecute the war against 

North Vietnam; 

Whereas, in 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat units arrived in Vietnam; 

Whereas, by the end of 1965, there were 80,000 United 

States troops in Vietnam, and by 1969, a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was reached; 

Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was 

signed, which required the release of all United States 

prisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces from South 

Vietnam; 

Whereas, on March 30, 1973, the United States Armed 

Forces completed the withdrawal of combat units and 

combat support units from South Vietnam; 

Whereas, on April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese regular forces 

captured Saigon, the capitol of South Vietnam, effectively 

placing South Vietnam under Communist control; 

Whereas more than 58,000 members of the United States 

Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 

300,000 members of the Armed Forces were wounded; 

Whereas, in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in the District of Columbia to commemorate those 


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SRES 55 ATS 

members of the United States Armed Forces who died or 

were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam; 

Whereas the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue 

among the people of the United States and a conflict that 

caused a generation of veterans to wait too long for the 

United States public to acknowledge and honor the efforts and services of such veterans; 

Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces who 

served bravely and faithfully for the United States during 

the Vietnam War were often wrongly criticized for the 

policy decisions made by 4 presidential administrations in 

the United States; 

Whereas the establishment of a ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam 

Veterans Day’’ would be an appropriate way to honor 

those members of the United States Armed Forces who 

served in South Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia 

during the Vietnam War; and 

Whereas March 30, 2011, would be an appropriate day to establish as ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors and recognizes the contributions of 

3 veterans who served in the United States Armed 

4 Forces in Vietnam during war and during peace; 

5 (2) encourages States and local governments to 

6 also establish ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans 

7 Day’’; and 


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SRES 55 ATS 

1 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

2 to observe ‘‘Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day’’ 

3 with appropriate ceremonies and activities that— 

4 (A) provide the appreciation Vietnam War 

5 veterans deserve, but did not receive upon re6 turning home from the war; 

7 (B) demonstrate the resolve that never 

8 again shall the Nation disregard and denigrate 

9 a generation of veterans; 

10 (C) promote awareness of the faithful serv11 ice and contributions of such veterans during 

12 their military service as well as to their commu13 nities since returning home; 

14 (D) promote awareness of the importance 

15 of entire communities empowering veterans and 

16 the families of veterans to readjust to civilian 

17 life after military service; and 

18 (E) promote opportunities for such vet19 erans to assist younger veterans returning from 

20 the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in rehabilita21 tion from wounds, both seen and unseen, and to 

22 support the reintegration of younger veterans 

23 into civilian life. 

Æ 


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