Florida Senate - 2012 SM 1080
By Senator Dean
3-01003-12 20121080__
1 Senate Memorial
2 A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
3 urging Congress to initiate and support nationwide
4 efforts to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end
5 of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War
6 and demonstrate the nation’s appreciation for the
7 honorable service and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans.
8
9 WHEREAS, the Vietnam War was a Cold War military conflict
10 that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1,
11 1955, until the United States Congress passed the Case-Church
12 amendment in 1973 which prohibited the further use of American
13 military forces in the conflict, and
14 WHEREAS, 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the
15 United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War, and
16 WHEREAS, there are an estimated 650,000 Vietnam veterans in
17 the State of Florida, and
18 WHEREAS, because of the intense public opposition to the
19 war that existed at the time, members of the United States Armed
20 Services returned home to an unprecedented lack of formal
21 positive recognition of the honorable service they had provided
22 on behalf of their country and the tremendous sacrifices they
23 had made, and
24 WHEREAS, the lack of formal “Welcome Home” parades and
25 other traditional celebrations for returning soldiers that were
26 common in previous military conflicts in which the United States
27 was engaged, coupled with verbal and sometimes physical abuse,
28 resulted in great disillusionment, undeserved indignity, and
29 often great suffering and anguish among returning Vietnam
30 veterans, and
31 WHEREAS, many of these brave men and women are now reaching
32 an advanced age, and
33 WHEREAS, March 30, 2013, will mark the official date of the
34 40th anniversary of the end of the United States’ involvement in
35 the Vietnam War, and
36 WHEREAS, on that date this nation will be presented with a
37 unique and historic opportunity to hold appropriate observances
38 and long-overdue recognition ceremonies that will honor our
39 nation’s aging Vietnam War veterans and that may finally provide
40 these brave men and women a fitting expression of gratitude and
41 a measure of healing and official closure that has been denied
42 them for decades and that they so greatly deserve, and
43 WHEREAS, the importance of the commemoration of the 40th
44 anniversary of the end of the United States’ involvement in the
45 Vietnam War and the opportunity that such an historical
46 anniversary presents to attempt to rectify past injustices and
47 ingratitude cannot be stressed strongly enough, and
48 WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate that the United
49 States Congress initiate and support efforts at the national
50 level to mark this historic anniversary and to attempt to
51 redress the lack of appropriate recognition and undeserved
52 ingratitude that so many of these brave servicemen and
53 servicewomen received upon returning home, and
54 WHEREAS, as part of a national effort, it is also requested
55 that the United States Congress authorize the minting of a 40th
56 anniversary commemorative medal expressing the nation’s
57 appreciation for the honorable service of Vietnam veterans, and
58 WHEREAS, for this historic opportunity to be fully
59 realized, the United States Congress should act promptly and
60 decisively, NOW, THEREFORE,
61
62 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
63
64 That the Congress of the United States is urged to initiate
65 and support nationwide efforts to commemorate the 40th
66 anniversary of the end of the United States’ involvement in the
67 Vietnam War and demonstrate the nation’s appreciation for the
68 honorable service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.
69 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of such national
70 effort, the United States Congress is requested to authorize the
71 minting of a 40th anniversary commemorative medal expressing the
72 nation’s appreciation for the honorable service of Vietnam
73 veterans.
74 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
75 dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
76 President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
77 United States House of Representatives, to each member of the
78 Florida delegation to the United States Congress, and to the
79 legislative governing body of each of the other 49 states of the
80 United States.