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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, In the late 1950s and early 1960s, United States | ||||||
| 3 | military personnel began serving as military
advisors to the | ||||||
| 4 | South Vietnamese military in their conflict with North Vietnam; | ||||||
| 5 | and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, As the Vietnam War escalated over the subsequent | ||||||
| 7 | decade; Americans, including many
Illinoisans, were called to | ||||||
| 8 | join the war as the United States implemented a military draft; | ||||||
| 9 | and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, As the war continued, over 58,000 members of the | ||||||
| 11 | United States
Armed Forces would lose their lives and more than | ||||||
| 12 | 300,000 were wounded; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Nearly 3,000 Illinoisans were killed or listed as | ||||||
| 14 | missing in action during the Vietnam
War; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Upon returning home, those who served in Vietnam | ||||||
| 16 | were met with
a vigorous public debate about the involvement of | ||||||
| 17 | the United States in the war; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, As these veterans returned home, many of them were | ||||||
| 19 | not given the credit and support
they deserved for dutifully | ||||||
| 20 | serving their
country; many were met with vigorous protests and | ||||||
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| 1 | condemnations and
received widespread insults by opponents of | ||||||
| 2 | the Vietnam War; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, While service members returning home following | ||||||
| 4 | World War II and the Korean War were met with homecoming | ||||||
| 5 | celebrations,
veterans returning from Vietnam were met with | ||||||
| 6 | strong opposition that
was directed at them rather than the | ||||||
| 7 | appropriate decision makers in
Washington; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Many who returned home from the battlefield were | ||||||
| 9 | spit on,
called killers, and ignored by the American public at | ||||||
| 10 | a time when they
needed the support of their fellow citizens; | ||||||
| 11 | therefore, be it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 13 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 14 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we stand united in our strong | ||||||
| 15 | support of all military personnel who served and sacrificed | ||||||
| 16 | during the Vietnam War and offer our heartfelt and sincere | ||||||
| 17 | apology to all Vietnam veterans who were mistreated after | ||||||
| 18 | returning home from their service; and be it further | ||||||
| 19 | RESOLVED, That we declare November 1, 2019 as "Vietnam | ||||||
| 20 | Veterans Recognition Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it | ||||||
| 21 | further | ||||||
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That we urge all Illinoisans to show support and | ||||||
| 2 | gratitude to all Americans who have worn
the uniform of the | ||||||
| 3 | United States and who put their lives in danger to defend our
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| 4 | freedoms; and be it further | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor and the Secretary of | ||||||
| 6 | State to instruct that all flags within their purview be | ||||||
| 7 | lowered to half-mast on November 1, 2019 as a sign of respect | ||||||
| 8 | to all Vietnam veterans; and be it further
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| 9 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to the Director of the Illinois Department of | ||||||
| 11 | Veteran's Affairs, the Illinois Vietnam Veterans of America, | ||||||
| 12 | the Illinois Secretary of State, and the Governor of the State | ||||||
| 13 | of Illinois.
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