2025 -- H 6281

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LC002826

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE VIETNAM WAR

ON APRIL 30TH, 2025

     Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Azzinaro, Shekarchi, Blazejewski,
Chippendale, Paplauskas, J. Lombardi, Hull, Abney, and Craven

     Date Introduced: April 29, 2025

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The Vietnam War was a conflict fought primarily in Vietnam, and also in

Laos and Cambodia, between the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and its allies, primarily

the United States, and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, who were South Vietnamese insurgents

supported by communist North Vietnam, with military aid from China and the Soviet Union. The

war was a major battleground in the broader Cold War between Western democracies and

communist powers; and

     WHEREAS, The Vietnam War is generally considered to have begun in 1955, escalating

significantly in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed American ground forces

following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, in which it was alleged that North Vietnamese

forces fired on U.S. Navy vessels. In response, the United States Congress passed a resolution

granting President Johnson the authority to increase the U.S. military presence in Vietnam

without a formal declaration of war; and

     WHEREAS, American involvement in the Vietnam War expanded massively in 1965,

commencing with a bombing campaign against North Vietnam that lasted from March 2, 1965, to

November 1968, which resulted in the deaths, capture, or wounding of 1,054 American pilots and

aircrew members over North Vietnam, with additional losses over South Vietnam; and

     WHEREAS, Ground combat by American forces also intensified in 1965, beginning on

March 8, 1965, when President Johnson deployed two battalions of United States Marines to

South Vietnam. By the end of that year, the U.S. had 184,500 troops stationed in Vietnam. Over

the next decade, the war raged throughout Vietnam and spread into Laos and Cambodia. By the

end of 1968, the U.S. had 536,000 troops in Vietnam, peaking in April 1969 at 543,000 personnel

under President Richard Nixon; and

     WHEREAS, The Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese

forces captured Saigon, renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, and unified the country under communist

control. The Vietnam War is regarded as a tragedy of epic proportions that left deep scars on both

the United States and Vietnam-scars that persist to this day. The United States suffered 58,281

deaths (47,434 in combat) and 303,644 wounded. The war deeply divided the American public

and eroded trust in government and elected officials; and

     WHEREAS, The war also devastated the Vietnamese economy and infrastructure,

affecting both North and South Vietnam and causing widespread destruction in Cambodia and

Laos. South Vietnam suffered between 195,000 and 430,000 civilian casualties and 313,000

military deaths. North Vietnam and the Viet Cong suffered between 30,000 and 182,000 civilian

deaths and between 66,000 and 950,765 military deaths, with more than 600,000 military

personnel wounded and approximately 232,000 listed as missing. Other nations that suffered

casualties in the war included South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, the Philippines, and

others; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 2025. We thank

all of the brave American service members who served our nation with honor and valor in the

Vietnam War. This House also expresses its deep grief for all Americans who perished, suffered

injuries, or were prisoners of war during the conflict, and for all people of any nation who died or

were grievously wounded. We urge all to reflect on the lessons and consequences of the Vietnam

War and to support ongoing efforts to heal and rebuild from its enduring impact; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mr. Kasim Y. Yam, Director of the Rhode

Island Office of Veterans Services, and Brigadier General Andrew Chevalier, Adjutant General,

Rhode Island National Guard.

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