Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

Alaska Senate Bill SJR10 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	SJR010A -1- SJR 10
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11	11	SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10
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13	13	IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
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15	15	THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
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17	17	BY SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI
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19	19
20	20	Introduced: 2/20/25
21	21	Referred: State Affairs
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24	24	A RESOLUTION
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26	26	Encouraging the United States Congress to award Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War 1
27	27	the Congressional Gold Medal. 2
28	28	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
29	29	WHEREAS the Hmong played a crucial and often overlooked role in the Vietnam 4
30	30	War, particularly in Laos, where the Hmong were recruited by the United States Central 5
31	31	Intelligence Agency as part of a covert operation known as the "Secret War"; and 6
32	32	WHEREAS this involvement had profound consequences for the Hmong people, 7
33	33	leading to heavy casualties, mass displacement, and ongoing struggles for recognition and 8
34	34	support; and 9
35	35	WHEREAS the conflict in the Vietnam War was not confined to Vietnam, instead 10
36	36	spreading to neighboring Laos, where the North Vietnamese Army used the Ho Chi Minh 11
37	37	Trail to transport troops and supplies; and 12
38	38	WHEREAS, beginning in 1960, to disrupt that supply chain, the United States 13
39	39	Central Intelligence Agency recruited and trained as many as 100,000 Hmong soldiers, 14
40	40	forming Special Guerrilla Units under the leadership of General Vang Pao; and 15
41	41	WHEREAS, in July 1961, Brigadier General Edward G. Lansdale wrote in a memo to 16 34-LS0618\A
42	42	SJR 10 -2- SJR010A
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45	45	General Maxwell D. Taylor that about 9,000 Hmong soldiers were conducting guerrilla 1
46	46	operations in adversarial-dominated territories in Laos; and 2
47	47	WHEREAS the Hmong soldiers played a critical role in intercepting enemy forces, 3
48	48	gathering intelligence, and protecting United States Air Force radar installations; and 4
49	49	WHEREAS Hmong soldiers flew thousands of combat missions in support of the 5
50	50	United States Air Force, engaged in conventional and guerrilla warfare, despite being heavily 6
51	51	outnumbered, and rescued downed American pilots, often at great personal risk; and 7
52	52	WHEREAS approximately 40,000 Hmong soldiers were killed, 50,000 Hmong 8
53	53	soldiers were seriously wounded, and 3,000 Hmong soldiers went missing in action; and 9
54	54	WHEREAS Hmong soldiers died at 10 times the rate of United States soldiers in the 10
55	55	Vietnam War; and 11
56	56	WHEREAS, as the war progressed, boys as young as 12 were conscripted into service 12
57	57	because of the immense casualties suffered; and 13
58	58	WHEREAS, after the United States withdrew from Vietnam, the Pathet Lao, an 14
59	59	adversary group allied with North Vietnam, seized control of Laos in 1975; and 15
60	60	WHEREAS the Hmong faced retaliation for allying with the United States; and 16
61	61	WHEREAS the new Lao government labeled the Hmong as enemies of the state and 17
62	62	initiated systematic efforts to eliminate the Hmong; and 18
63	63	WHEREAS reports indicate that chemical weapons were used against Hmong 19
64	64	villages and thousands of Hmong were executed, with many more sent to reeducation camps, 20
65	65	where conditions were brutal; and 21
66	66	WHEREAS some Hmong fighters retreated into the jungle and continued to resist the 22
67	67	government for years; and 23
68	68	WHEREAS an estimated 138,000 Hmong fled across the Mekong River to refugee 24
69	69	camps in Thailand; and 25
70	70	WHEREAS many Hmong drowned while attempting to cross the Mekong River, 26
71	71	while others died from disease and starvation in the camps; and 27
72	72	WHEREAS the name Hmong is the English pronunciation of the name by which the 28
73	73	Hmong people have chosen to be identified by; and 29
74	74	WHEREAS, although historical Chinese records do not provide extensive details on 30
75	75	the origins of the name Hmong, many Hmong-Americans and Hmong-Laotians associate the 31 34-LS0618\A
76	76	SJR010A -3- SJR 10
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79	79	name with meanings such as "free" or "fate," reflecting the Hmong's enduring struggle against 1
80	80	oppression and resilience throughout history; and 2
81	81	WHEREAS the United States, France, Canada, and Australia accepted Hmong 3
82	82	refugees, with the United States accepting the majority of the refugees; and 4
83	83	WHEREAS approximately 50,000 Hmong veterans reside in the United States, of 5
84	84	which approximately 22 Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War call the state home; and 6
85	85	WHEREAS the state has a Hmong population of over 5,500, which is the third 7
86	86	highest in the country; and 8
87	87	WHEREAS Alaska is home to a vibrant Hmong community, which has established 9
88	88	numerous organizations that provide cultural preservation, economic development, and social 10
89	89	support for Hmong residents across the state; and 11
90	90	WHEREAS the United States government formally recognized Hmong contributions 12
91	91	for the first time on May 15, 1997, when it dedicated the Laos Memorial at the Arlington 13
92	92	National Cemetery; and 14
93	93	WHEREAS, in 2019, Alaska passed House Bill 56, establishing May 15 as Hmong-15
94	94	American Veterans Day to recognize the service of Hmong-American veterans; and 16
95	95	WHEREAS several United States cities and states have adopted July 22 as Lao-17
96	96	Hmong Recognition Day, but federal recognition remains limited; and 18
97	97	WHEREAS, on November 9, 2023, Senator Gary C. Peters with cosponsors Senators 19
98	98	Ron Johnson, Tammy Baldwin, Thomas Tillis, Amy Klobuchar, Debbie Stabenow, Sheldon 20
99	99	Whitehouse, and John Tester introduced S. 3271, The Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act, 21
100	100	which was referred to committee but received no further action; and 22
101	101	WHEREAS the Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in 23
102	102	the United States and is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress and signed into law 24
103	103	by the President as an expression of the highest national appreciation for distinguished 25
104	104	achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions; and 26
105	105	WHEREAS the tradition of awarding the Congressional Gold Medal originated 27
106	106	during the American Revolution, and is now awarded to recipient
107	107	s who are recognized for 28
108	108	achievements that have significantly shaped the United States; and 29
109	109	WHEREAS Congress must pass legislation to approve each Congressional Gold 30
110	110	Medal and, upon enactment, each Congressional Gold Medal is uniquely designed and cast in 31 34-LS0618\A
111	111	SJR 10 -4- SJR010A
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114	114	gold by the United States Mint, reflecting the singular nature of the honor and distinguishing 1
115	115	it from other national awards; and 2
116	116	WHEREAS United States citizenship is not a requirement for receiving the 3
117	117	Congressional Gold Medal, underscoring its role in recognizing contributions to the nation's 4
118	118	history and culture from individuals and groups across the world; and 5
119	119	WHEREAS other allied forces who fought alongside the United States have been 6
120	120	honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, including the Filipino World War II veterans, in 7
121	121	recognition of the veterans' bravery and sacrifices in defense of freedom; and 8
122	122	WHEREAS the Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting and long-overdue honor for the 9
123	123	Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War, whose unparalleled bravery, sacrifice, and unwavering 10
124	124	commitment to securing freedom alongside United States forces exemplified the highest 11
125	125	ideals of valor and service; 12
126	126	BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United States 13
127	127	Congress to award Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War the Congressional Gold Medal. 14
128	128	COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 15
129	129	of the United States; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and 16
130	130	President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Douglas Collins, United States Secretary of 17
131	131	Veterans Affairs; the Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; 18
132	132	the Honorable John Thune, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Hakeem 19
133	133	Jeffries, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Jerry Moran, 20
134	134	Chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Mike Bost, 21
135	135	Chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives; the 22
136	136	Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the 23
137	137	Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in 24
138	138	Congress; and all other members of the 119th United States Congress. 25