SJ0003 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0003 LRB098 07212 GRL 37273 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to 1975, and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflict with the United States Armed Forces and South Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, The United States became involved by serving in an advisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1961; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat units arrived in Vietnam and by the end of that year there were 80,000 United States troops in Vietnam with a peak of approximately 500,000 troops in 1969; and

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; by March 30, 1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam; and

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; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. to commemorate those members of the United States Armed Forces who died or were declared missing-in-action in Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Members of the United States Armed Forces who served bravely and faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were caught upon their return home in the crossfire of public debate about the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, March 30th marks the anniversary of the day that combat and combat support units withdrew completely from South Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, The Ranking Member of the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs introduced Senate Resolution 55 before the 112th Congress, which was agreed to on March 7, 2011, to honor veterans who served in Vietnam by designating March 30th as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day"; and

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly support the United States Senate in the establishment of a "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" as an appropriate way to honor those members of the United States Armed Forces who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly agree that March 30 would be an appropriate day to establish "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" in the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim March 30, 2013 and March 30, 2014 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all citizens of the State of Illinois are encouraged to honor our Vietnam Veterans.