HM 205

1
House Memorial
2A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
3urging Congress to initiate and support nationwide
4efforts to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end
5of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War
6and demonstrate the nation's appreciation for the
7honorable service and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans.
8
9     WHEREAS, the Vietnam War was a Cold War military conflict
10that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1,
111955, until the United States Congress passed the Case-Church
12amendment in 1973 which prohibited the further use of American
13military forces in the conflict, and
14     WHEREAS, 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the
15United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, and
16     WHEREAS, there are an estimated 650,000 Vietnam veterans in
17the State of Florida, and
18     WHEREAS, because of the intense public opposition to the
19war that existed at the time, members of the United States Armed
20Services returned home to an unprecedented lack of formal
21positive recognition of the honorable service they had provided
22on behalf of their country and the tremendous sacrifices they
23had made, and
24     WHEREAS, the lack of formal "Welcome Home" parades and
25other traditional celebrations for returning soldiers that were
26common in previous military conflicts in which the United States
27was engaged, coupled with verbal and sometimes physical abuse,
28resulted in great disillusionment, undeserved indignity, and
29often great suffering and anguish among returning Vietnam
30veterans, and
31     WHEREAS, many of these brave men and women are now reaching
32an advanced age, and
33     WHEREAS, March 30, 2013, will mark the official date of the
3440th anniversary of the end of the United States' involvement in
35the Vietnam War, and
36     WHEREAS, on that date this nation will be presented with a
37unique and historic opportunity to hold appropriate observances
38and long-overdue recognition ceremonies that will honor our
39nation's aging Vietnam War veterans and that may finally provide
40these brave men and women a fitting expression of gratitude and
41a measure of healing and official closure that has been denied
42them for decades and that they so greatly deserve, and
43     WHEREAS, the importance of the commemoration of the 40th
44anniversary of the end of the United States' involvement in the
45Vietnam War and the opportunity that such an historical
46anniversary presents to attempt to rectify past injustices and
47ingratitude cannot be stressed strongly enough, and
48     WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate that the United
49States Congress initiate and support efforts at the national
50level to mark this historic anniversary and to attempt to
51redress the lack of appropriate recognition and undeserved
52ingratitude that so many of these brave servicemen and
53servicewomen received upon returning home, and
54     WHEREAS, as part of a national effort, it is also requested
55that the United States Congress authorize the minting of a 40th
56anniversary commemorative medal expressing the nation's
57appreciation for the honorable service of Vietnam veterans, and
58     WHEREAS, for this historic opportunity to be fully
59realized, the United States Congress should act promptly and
60decisively, NOW, THEREFORE,
61
62Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
63
64     That the Congress of the United States is urged to initiate
65and support nationwide efforts to commemorate the 40th
66anniversary of the end of the United States' involvement in the
67Vietnam War and demonstrate the nation's appreciation for the
68honorable service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.
69     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of such national
70effort, the United States Congress is requested to authorize the
71minting of a 40th anniversary commemorative medal expressing the
72nation's appreciation for the honorable service of Vietnam
73veterans.
74     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
75dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
76President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
77United States House of Representatives, to each member of the
78Florida delegation to the United States Congress, and to the
79legislative governing body of each of the other 49 states of the
80United States.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.