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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to
31975, and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflict
4with the United States Armed Forces and South Vietnam; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The United States became involved by serving in an
6advisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1961; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat
8units arrived in Vietnam and by the end of that year there were
980,000 United States troops in Vietnam with a peak of
10approximately 500,000 troops in 1969; and
 
11    WHEREAS, On January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was
12signed, which required the release of all United States
13prisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of
14all United States Armed Forces from South Vietnam; by March 30,
151973, the United States Armed Forces completed the withdrawal
16of combat troops from Vietnam; and
 
17    WHEREAS, More than 58,000 members of the United States
18Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000
19members of the Armed Forces were wounded; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was

 

 

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1dedicated in Washington, D.C. to commemorate those members of
2the United States Armed Forces who died or were declared
3missing-in-action in Vietnam; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Members of the United States Armed Forces who
5served bravely and faithfully for the United States during the
6Vietnam War were caught upon their return home in the crossfire
7of public debate about the involvement of the United States in
8the Vietnam War; and
 
9    WHEREAS, March 30th marks the anniversary of the day that
10combat and combat support units withdrew completely from South
11Vietnam; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Ranking Member of the United States Senate
13Committee on Veterans' Affairs introduced Senate Resolution 55
14before the 112th Congress, which was agreed to on March 7,
152011, to honor veterans who served in Vietnam by designating
16March 30th as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day"; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly
18support the United States Senate in the establishment of a
19"Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" as an appropriate way to
20honor those members of the United States Armed Forces who
21served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly agree
2that March 30 would be an appropriate day to establish "Welcome
3Home Vietnam Veterans Day" in the State of Illinois; therefore,
4be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
7CONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim March 30, 2013 and March
830, 2014 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" in the State of
9Illinois; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That all citizens of the State of Illinois are
11encouraged to honor our Vietnam Veterans.