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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 19 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 19
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2025
Mr. Crenshaw (for himself, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Valadao,
Mrs. Cammack, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms. De La
Cruz, Mr. Carey, and Mr. Babin) submitted the following joint
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
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 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, recruiting
stations, and the bombing of the Army Math 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, 2025, which marks the
52d anniversary of the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That the United States, acting
through Congress--
(1) recognizes the extraordinary sacrifice of veterans of
the Vietnam war and commends them for their unwavering and
courageous sacrifice to our Nation;
(2) urges the President of the United States to formally
acknowledge the widespread mistreatment of veterans of the
Vietnam war as part of the ongoing Vietnam War Commemoration;
(3) on behalf of the American people, issues the long-
overdue formal apology to veterans of the Vietnam war and their
families for the mistreatment they endured during and after the
war; and
(4) expresses urgent support for increased education in our
Nation's schools to better reflect the courage and sacrifice of
veterans of the Vietnam war and the lack of support back home.
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