PRINTER'S NO. 3181
No. 577 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY LONGIETTI, BELFANTI, SOLOBAY, ADOLPH, ARGALL,
BAKER, BENNINGHOFF, BENNINGTON, BEYER, BISHOP, BOBACK,
BRENNAN, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CLYMER,
COHEN, CONKLIN, COSTA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CUTLER, DALEY, DALLY,
DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EACHUS,
J. EVANS, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FRANKEL,
FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE,
GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARKINS,
HARPER, HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HORNAMAN,
HUTCHINSON, JAMES, JOSEPHS, M. KELLER, KILLION, KOTIK, LEACH,
LENTZ, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MANN, MANTZ, MARKOSEK,
MARSICO, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN, McILVAINE SMITH,
MELIO, MENSCH, METCALFE, MILLARD, R. MILLER, MILNE, MOUL,
MOYER, MUNDY, MURT, MUSTIO, NAILOR, D. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL,
PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PETRI, PETRONE, PHILLIPS, QUIGLEY,
RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SABATINA, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SEIP,
SHIMKUS, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, SONNEY, STABACK, STERN,
R. STEVENSON, SURRA, SWANGER, TRUE, VULAKOVICH, WALKO,
WANSACZ, WATSON, J. WHITE, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK
AND M. O'BRIEN, FEBRUARY 5, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 5, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating March 29, 2008, as "Vietnam Veterans Day" in
2 Pennsylvania to recognize the selfless service and supreme
3 sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.
4 WHEREAS, The names of 58,256 casualties are inscribed on the
5 Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, referred to as The
6 Wall; and
7 WHEREAS, The Wall memorializes Vietnam combat zone casualties
8 and casualties incurred outside combat zones, including
1 servicepersons who died in support of combat missions and
2 servicepersons who subsequently died of wounds sustained in
3 Vietnam; and
4 WHEREAS, The first known casualty among United States
5 military personnel dates to June 8, 1956; and
6 WHEREAS, Military losses in southeast Asia from this
7 Commonwealth total 3,142; and
8 WHEREAS, Native sons who gave their lives in the line of duty
9 in Vietnam include 1,870 Army casualties, 152 Navy casualties,
10 148 Air Force casualties and 972 Marine casualties; and
11 WHEREAS, More than 300,000 armed forces members were wounded
12 while fighting in Vietnam; and
13 WHEREAS, Our national presence in Vietnam concluded on April
14 30, 1975, as the last American troops, ten Marines from our
15 embassy, departed Saigon; and
16 WHEREAS, President William J. Clinton's executive order of
17 June 1996 ended the official Vietnam combat zone designation,
18 which had remained in effect for the benefit of missing
19 servicepersons; and
20 WHEREAS, The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel
21 Office continues to identify and repatriate the remains of
22 Vietnam-era servicepersons for interment by their loved ones;
23 and
24 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives commemorates the
25 heroism of Vietnam servicepersons who, in an escalating and
26 controversial commitment under six presidents, displayed strong
27 tactical skills and survival skills; and
28 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives commemorates the common
29 bond of these servicepersons, who endured, according to Jeane
30 Kirkpatrick in 1979, "conditions of guerrilla war"; and
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1 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives commemorates the
2 unparalleled endeavors of all fallen, lost and injured troops
3 and all in-country veterans who fought honorably when called
4 upon and who returned to a besieged nation; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, with all due
6 thanks, designate March 29, 2008, as "Vietnam Veterans Day" in
7 Pennsylvania to recognize the selfless service and supreme
8 sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.
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