2025 -- H 6281
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
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 1
Laos and Cambodia, between the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and its allies, primarily 2
the United States, and North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, who were South Vietnamese insurgents 3
supported by communist North Vietnam, with military aid from China and the Soviet Union. The 4
war was a major battleground in the broader Cold War between Western democracies and 5
communist powers; and 6
WHEREAS, The Vietnam War is generally considered to have begun in 1955, escalating 7
significantly in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed American ground forces 8
following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, in which it was alleged that North Vietnamese 9
forces fired on U.S. Navy vessels. In response, the United States Congress passed a resolution 10
granting President Johnson the authority to increase the U.S. military presence in Vietnam 11
without a formal declaration of war; and 12
WHEREAS, American involvement in the Vietnam War expanded massively in 1965, 13
commencing with a bombing campaign against North Vietnam that lasted from March 2, 1965, to 14
November 1968, which resulted in the deaths, capture, or wounding of 1,054 American pilots and 15
aircrew members over North Vietnam, with additional losses over South Vietnam; and 16
WHEREAS, Ground combat by American forces also intensified in 1965, beginning on 17
March 8, 1965, when President Johnson deployed two battalions of United States Marines to 18
South Vietnam. By the end of that year, the U.S. had 184,500 troops stationed in Vietnam. Over 19
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the next decade, the war raged throughout Vietnam and spread into Laos and Cambodia. By the 1
end of 1968, the U.S. had 536,000 troops in Vietnam, peaking in April 1969 at 543,000 personnel 2
under President Richard Nixon; and 3
WHEREAS, The Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese 4
forces captured Saigon, renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, and unified the country under communist 5
control. The Vietnam War is regarded as a tragedy of epic proportions that left deep scars on both 6
the United States and Vietnam-scars that persist to this day. The United States suffered 58,281 7
deaths (47,434 in combat) and 303,644 wounded. The war deeply divided the American public 8
and eroded trust in government and elected officials; and 9
WHEREAS, The war also devastated the Vietnamese economy and infrastructure, 10
affecting both North and South Vietnam and causing widespread destruction in Cambodia and 11
Laos. South Vietnam suffered between 195,000 and 430,000 civilian casualties and 313,000 12
military deaths. North Vietnam and the Viet Cong suffered between 30,000 and 182,000 civilian 13
deaths and between 66,000 and 950,765 military deaths, with more than 600,000 military 14
personnel wounded and approximately 232,000 listed as missing. Other nations that suffered 15
casualties in the war included South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, the Philippines, and 16
others; now, therefore be it 17
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 18
commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 2025. We thank 19
all of the brave American service members who served our nation with honor and valor in the 20
Vietnam War. This House also expresses its deep grief for all Americans who perished, suffered 21
injuries, or were prisoners of war during the conflict, and for all people of any nation who died or 22
were grievously wounded. We urge all to reflect on the lessons and consequences of the Vietnam 23
War and to support ongoing efforts to heal and rebuild from its enduring impact; and be it further 24
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to 25
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mr. Kasim Y. Yam, Director of the Rhode 26
Island Office of Veterans Services, and Brigadier General Andrew Chevalier, Adjutant General, 27
Rhode Island National Guard. 28
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