CS/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, as of July 2011, the Florida Department of
17	Veterans' Affairs estimated that there were approximately
18	454,000 Vietnam era veterans living in the State of Florida, and
19	WHEREAS, because of the intense public opposition to the
20	war that existed at the time, members of the United States Armed
21	Services returned home to an unprecedented lack of formal
22	positive recognition of the honorable service they had provided
23	on behalf of their country and the tremendous sacrifices they
24	had made, and
25	WHEREAS, the lack of formal "Welcome Home" parades and
26	other traditional celebrations for returning soldiers that were
27	common in previous military conflicts in which the United States
28	was engaged, coupled with verbal and sometimes physical abuse,
29	resulted in great disillusionment, undeserved indignity, and
30	often great suffering and anguish among returning Vietnam
31	veterans, and
32	WHEREAS, many of these brave men and women are now reaching
33	an advanced age, and
34	WHEREAS, March 30, 2013, will mark the official date of the
35	40th anniversary of the end of the United States' involvement in
36	the Vietnam War, and
37	WHEREAS, on that date this nation will be presented with a
38	unique and historic opportunity to hold appropriate observances
39	and long-overdue recognition ceremonies that will honor our
40	nation's aging Vietnam War veterans and that may finally provide
41	these brave men and women a fitting expression of gratitude and
42	a measure of healing and official closure that has been denied
43	them for decades and that they so greatly deserve, and
44	WHEREAS, the importance of the commemoration of the 40th
45	anniversary of the end of the United States' involvement in the
46	Vietnam War and the opportunity that such an historical
47	anniversary presents to attempt to rectify past injustices and
48	ingratitude cannot be stressed strongly enough, and
49	WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate that the United
50	States Congress initiate and support efforts at the national
51	level to mark this historic anniversary and to attempt to
52	redress the lack of appropriate recognition and undeserved
53	ingratitude that so many of these brave servicemen and
54	servicewomen received upon returning home, and
55	WHEREAS, as part of a national effort, it is also requested
56	that the United States Congress authorize the minting of a 40th
57	anniversary commemorative medal expressing the nation's
58	appreciation for the honorable service of Vietnam veterans, and
59	WHEREAS, for this historic opportunity to be fully
60	realized, the United States Congress should act promptly and
61	decisively, NOW, THEREFORE,
62
63	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
64
65	That the Congress of the United States is urged to initiate
66	and support nationwide efforts to commemorate the 40th
67	anniversary of the end of the United States' involvement in the
68	Vietnam War and demonstrate the nation's appreciation for the
69	honorable service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.
70	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of such national
71	effort, the United States Congress is requested to authorize the
72	minting of a 40th anniversary commemorative medal expressing the
73	nation's appreciation for the honorable service of Vietnam
74	veterans.
75	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
76	dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
77	President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
78	United States House of Representatives, to each member of the
79	Florida delegation to the United States Congress, and to the
80	legislative governing body of each of the other 49 states of the
81	United States.

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