,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dji  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #bh1 #bjac
 ,mr4 ,burr 7for himself and ,mrs4      
,boxer7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill
  ,to add ,vietnam ,veterans ,day as a  
patriotic and national observance4  #a4 
,vietnam ,veterans ,day  7a7 ,findings  
,congress finds that--  7#a7 the        
,vietnam ,war was fought in the         
,republic of ,south ,vietnam from #aifa 
to #aige1 and involved ,north           
,vietnamese regular forces and ,viet    
,cong guerrilla forces in armed conflict
 with ,united ,states ,armed ,forces1   
allies of the ,united ,states1 and the  
armed forces of the ,republic of        
,vietnam2  7#b7 the ,united ,states     
,armed ,forces became involved in       
,vietnam because the ,united ,states    
,government wanted to provide direct    
military support to the ,government of  
,south ,vietnam to defend itself against

 the growing ,communist threat from     
,north ,vietnam2  7#c7 members of the   
,united ,states ,armed ,forces began    
serving in an advisory role to the      
,government of the ,republic of ,south  
,vietnam in #aiej2  7#d7 as a result of 
the ,gulf of ,tonkin incidents on       
,august #b and #d1 #aifd1 ,congress     
overwhelmingly passed the ,gulf of      
,tonkin ,resolution 7,public ,law       
#hh-djh71 on ,august #g1 #aifd1 which   
provided the authority to the ,president
 of the ,united ,states to prosecute the
 war against ,north ,vietnam2  7#e7 in  
#aife1 ,united ,states ,armed ,forces   
ground combat units arrived in ,vietnam2
  7#f7 by ,september #aife1 there were  
over #abi1jjj ,united ,states troops in 
,vietnam1 and by #aifi1 a peak of       
approximately #edc1jjj troops was       
reached2  7#g7 on ,january #bg1 #aigc1  
the ,agreement ,ending the ,war and     
,restoring ,peace in ,vietnam 7commonly 
known as the ,paris ,peace ,accords7 was
 signed1 which required the release of  

all ,united ,states prisoners-of-war    
held in ,north ,vietnam and the         
withdrawal of all ,united ,states ,armed
 ,forces from ,south ,vietnam2  7#h7 on 
,march #bi1 #aigc1 the ,united ,states  
,armed ,forces completed the withdrawal 
of combat units and combat support units
 from ,south ,vietnam2  7#i7 on ,april  
#cj1 #aige1 ,north ,vietnamese regular  
forces captured ,saigon1 the capitol of 
,south ,vietnam1 effectively placing    
,south ,vietnam under ,communist        
control2  7#aj7 more than #eh1jjj       
members of the ,united ,states ,armed   
,forces lost their lives in ,vietnam and
 more than #cjj1jjj members of the      
,armed ,forces were wounded2  7#aa7 in  
#aihb1 the ,vietnam ,veterans ,memorial 
was dedicated in the ,district of       
,columbia to commemorate those members  
of the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces   
who died or were declared               
missing-in-action in ,vietnam2  7#ab7   
the ,vietnam ,war was an extremely      
divisive issue among the people of the  

,united ,states and a conflict that     
caused a generation of veterans to wait 
too long for the ,united ,states public 
to acknowledge and honor the efforts and
 services of such veterans2  7#ac7      
members of the ,united ,states ,armed   
,forces who served bravely and          
faithfully for the ,united ,states      
during the ,vietnam ,war were often     
wrongly criticized for the policy       
decisions made by #d presidential       
administrations in the ,united ,states2 
7#ad7 the establishment of a ,vietnam   
,veterans ,day would be an appropriate  
way to honor those members of the       
,united ,states ,armed ,forces who      
served in ,south ,vietnam and throughout
 ,southeast ,asia during the ,vietnam   
,war2  7#ae7 ,march #bi would be an     
appropriate day to establish as ,vietnam
 ,veterans ,day2 and  7#af7 ,president  
,obama designated ,march #bi1 #bjab1 as 
,vietnam ,veterans ,day under           
,presidential ,proclamation #hghi 7#gg  
,fed4 ,reg4 #bjbge74  7b7 ,vietnam      

,veterans ,day ,chapter #a of title #cf1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
adding at the end the following3  #ade4 
,vietnam ,veterans ,day ,the ,president 
may issue each year a proclamation--    
7#a7 designating ,march #bi as ,vietnam 
,veterans ,day2  7#b7 honoring and      
recognizing the contributions of        
veterans who served in the ,united      
,states ,armed ,forces in ,vietnam      
during war and during peace2  7#c7      
encouraging ,states and local           
governments to establish a ,vietnam     
,veterans ,day2 and  7#d7 encouraging   
the people of the ,united ,states to    
observe ,vietnam ,veterans ,day with    
appropriate ceremonies and activities   
that--  7,a7 provide the appreciation   
veterans of the ,vietnam ,war deserve1  
but did not receive upon returning home 
from the war2  7,b7 demonstrate the     
resolve that never again shall the      
people of the ,united ,states disregard 
and denigrate a generation of veterans2 
7,c7 promote awareness of the faithful  

service and contributions of the        
veterans of the ,vietnam ,war during    
military service as well as to the      
communities of the veterans since       
returning home2  7,d7 promote awareness 
of the importance of entire communities 
empowering veterans and the families of 
veterans in helping the veterans        
readjust to civilian life after military
 service2 and  7,e7 promote             
opportunities for veterans of the       
,vietnam ,war to assist younger veterans
 returning from the wars in ,iraq and   
,afghanistan in rehabilitation from     
wounds1 both seen and unseen1 and to    
support the reintegration of younger    
veterans into civilian life4  4  7c7    
,conforming ,amendment ,the table of    
sections for chapter #a of title #cf1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #ade4 
,vietnam ,veterans ,day4  4