89R21508 CW-D
By: Lowe H.C.R. No. 137
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the
end of the Vietnam War, providing a fitting opportunity to honor the
dedicated members of the U.S. military who courageously served
their country in the conflict; and
WHEREAS, The Vietnam War pitted the communist government of
North Vietnam and its Viet Cong supporters in South Vietnam against
the South Vietnamese government and its main ally, the United
States; America's military involvement in the war officially began
in August 1964 when U.S. ships were attacked in international
waters in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam; following that
incident, the U.S. increased its military presence in South
Vietnam, and its first regular combat units arrived in the country
in March 1965; by 1969, more than 500,000 U.S. military personnel
were stationed in Vietnam; and
WHEREAS, The signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January
1973 ended direct U.S. military engagement in Vietnam, and on
April 30, 1975, the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the
North Vietnamese Army, effectively bringing the war to a close; the
conflict claimed a terrible death toll, and the names of the more
than 58,000 U.S. servicemen and women who lost their lives during
the war are inscribed on the wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, Americans owe a profound debt of gratitude to those
who fulfilled the highest ideals of the U.S. armed forces during the
Vietnam War, and it is indeed appropriate to reflect on their
immeasurable fortitude and valor and on the exceptional sacrifice
of all those whose lives were touched by the war; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the
Vietnam War.