25 LC 46 0995
House Resolution 17
By: Representatives Blackmon of the 146
th
, Ballard of the 147
th
, Bonner of the 73
rd
, Williams
of the 168
th
, Hitchens of the 161
st
, and others
A RESOLUTION
Honoring and recognizing the veterans who were victims of Agent Orange during the
1
Vietnam War.2
WHEREAS, our nation was conceived by individuals who were willing to sacrifice their3
personal safety to ensure our individual and collective freedom, and the State of Georgia is4
especially proud to be the home of so many valiant men and women who have performed5
above and beyond the call of duty; and6
WHEREAS, more than 228,000 men and women from Georgia served in the Vietnam War,7
of which 1,584 were killed in action and 8,534 were wounded; and8
WHEREAS, approximately 234,000 Vietnam veterans currently reside in Georgia; and9
WHEREAS, the citizens of the United States have, throughout the years, been called upon10
to take up arms against the enemies of this great nation, risking their lives and leaving their11
loved ones behind to honorably safeguard the freedoms and liberties guaranteed to all12
Americans and vanquishing those who threaten our way of life; and13
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WHEREAS, more than eight million citizens of this country honorably served during the
14
Vietnam War, during which time the chemical Agent Orange was widely used in Vietnam15
by the United States Armed Forces as part of Operation Ranch Hand, the herbicidal warfare16
program, between 1961 and 1971; and17
WHEREAS, nearly 20 million gallons of the orange powder were sprayed over the land 18
from helicopters or low-flying aircraft, destroying vegetation and crops in order to deprive19
enemy guerrillas of food and cover for their activities, which exposed 2.6 million American20
soldiers to the herbicide and defoliant chemical; and21
WHEREAS, Agent Orange is a dioxin and cancer-causing chemical that enters the body22
through physical contact or ingestion and moves into the human cell nucleus, where it attacks23
the genes and causes a number of serious illnesses, including leukemia, lymphoma,24
myeloma, ischemic heart disease, soft tissue sarcoma, amyloidosis, diabetes, and cancers of25
the throat, prostate, lung, and colon; and26
WHEREAS, Agent Orange also causes genetic damage, and in some cases, the children and27
grandchildren of veterans exposed to Agent Orange have been born with spina bifida and28
other abnormalities; and29
WHEREAS, today, approximately 800,000 Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are30
alive, and approximately 300 deaths occur among them every day; and31
WHEREAS, while fallen comrades are memorialized on The Wall at the Vietnam Veterans32
Memorial in Washington, D.C., the veterans who are victims of Agent Orange are not33
recognized as fatalities of the Vietnam War; and34
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WHEREAS, it is most appropriate that we should honor these veterans to the full extent of
35
our ability, as they have made untold and innumerable sacrifices to preserve the liberties we 36
enjoy today and that our progeny will hopefully continue to cherish for generations to come.37
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES t hat38
the members of this body honor and recognize the veterans who were victims of Agent39
Orange during the Vietnam War for their courageous service to our nation as some of40
America's most heroic citizens.41
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized42
and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the43
public.44
H. R. 17
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