WHEREAS, March 30, 2011, marks thirty-eight years since the withdrawal of United States combat forces from South Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, The Vietnam War was fought in the Republic of South Vietnam from 1961 to 1975, and involved North Vietnamese regular forces and Viet Cong guerrilla forces in armed conflict with United States Armed Forces and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, The United States military 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 Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, Members of the United States Armed Forces began serving in an advisory role to the Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in 1961;
     WHEREAS, As a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2 and 4, 1964, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on August 7, 1964, which provided the authority to the President of the United States to prosecute the war against North Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, In 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat units arrived in Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, By the end of 1965, there were 80,000 United States troops in Vietnam, and by 1969, a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was reached;
     WHEREAS, On January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was signed, 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 Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, On March 30, 1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the withdrawal of combat units and combat support units from South Vietnam;
     WHEREAS, More than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces were wounded;
     WHEREAS, 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 their due public honor;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives honor and recognize the many sacrifices of veterans who served in the United States military in Vietnam during war and peace.