HM 205

1	House 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.

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