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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2014

By: Representatives Jennings, Alday, Bain, To: Rules Baker, Beckett, Bell, Bennett, Bounds, Boyd, Brown (66th), Byrd, Calhoun, Carpenter, Chism, Clark, Currie, DeBar, Denny, Dixon, Evans (43rd), Evans (91st), Formby, Gibbs, Gipson, Guice, Hamilton, Haney, Hood, Horne, Howell, Kinkade, Ladner, Martinson, Massengill, Mayo, Middleton, Miles, Moore, Oberhousen, Pigott, Powell, Rogers (14th), Rogers (61st), Rushing, Shirley, Shows, Smith (39th), Staples, Steverson, Straughter, Sullivan, Taylor, Thomas, Turner, Watson, Weathersby, Willis, Zuber

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 53

1 A RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2 . 3 WHEREAS, it is the custom of this Legislative Body to honor 4 those who served in the American Armed Forces during wartime and 5 strengthen our shared commitment to the exercise of freedom, and 6 therefore the Mississippi House of Representatives commemorates

7 the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War; and 8 WHEREAS, Mississippi House of Representatives members Mac 9 Huddleston ( Army Captain - 1966-67), Manly Barton 10 (United States Army Specialist 5 - 1969-70), Thomas G. Taylor 11 (United States Army Specialist 5 - 1968-69), Representative Rufus 12 Straughter's brother, Robert Laurence Straughter (United States 13 Army First Sergeant) and Representative Wanda Jennings' husband

14 Terry Jennings (United States Air Force Captain) each bravely and 15 patriotically served in Vietnam; and 16 WHEREAS, in the late 1950s, the United States began sending 17 advisors to help train the South Vietnamese Army and Air Force to 18 withstand the onslaught from Communist , and American H. R. No. 53 *HR40/R1947* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 14/HR40/R1947 PAGE 1 (CAA\BD) 19 troop involvement in the Vietnam War escalated in the early 1960s, 20 and combat units were deployed beginning in 1965, and more than 21 three million servicemen and women left their families to bravely 22 serve a world away in places such as la Drang to Khe Sanh, from 23 Hue to Saigon, and countless villages in between; they pushed 24 through jungles and rice paddies, heat and monsoons, fighting to

25 protect the ideals we hold dear as Americans along with other 26 anticommunist forces including the Republic of , 27 Republic of Korea, , Philippines, , 28 and other Asian nations; and 29 WHEREAS, through more than a decade of combat, over air, 30 land, and sea, these proud Americans upheld the highest traditions 31 of the United States Armed Forces; and

32 WHEREAS, an estimated 227,335 Mississippians served in 33 Vietnam, with 636 killed; and 34 WHEREAS, today, there are an estimated 71,364 Vietnam-Era 35 veterans living in the State of Mississippi, the largest single 36 block of veterans in Mississippi's population; and

37 WHEREAS, where ground combat was sometimes made complicated 38 by unconventional military opposition and difficult terrain,

39 United States air superiority remained constant, and throughout 40 the Vietnam War, various policies and strategies were put in place 41 by the United States military to take advantage of that strength; 42 and

H. R. No. 53 *HR40/R1947* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/HR40/R1947 PAGE 2 (CAA\BD) 43 WHEREAS, over the course of the conflict, United States 44 forces dropped over seven million tons of bombs through Southeast 45 Asia, compared to two million tons dropped during all of World War 46 II; and 47 WHEREAS, the large, well-coordinated surprise campaign on 48 cities and United States targets throughout South Vietnam, named

49 the Tet Offensive, was North Vietnam's attempt to end the war in 50 one swift blow, and the morning of , 1968, saw many 51 provincial capitals and cities such as Saigon and Hue under 52 from large numbers of Communist fighters who had apparently 53 infiltrated the South Vietnam in the months and weeks leading up 54 to the planned offensive; and 55 WHEREAS, in the aftermath, many cities and towns in South

56 Vietnam were devastated with thousands of casualties sustained by 57 forces and civilians in the region; and 58 WHEREAS, the North Vietnamese-led Tet Offensive in early 59 1968 brought a new wave of criticism from the American public as 60 images of those events shocked many across the nation; and

61 WHEREAS, , a result of the Paris Peace 62 Accords, made possible the return of nearly 600 American prisoners

63 of war held by North Vietnam, and groups of released POWs were 64 selected on the basis of their length of time in prison, with the 65 first group consisting of POWs that had spent six to eight years 66 as prisoners of war, and after Operation Homecoming, about 1,350 67 Americans were still listed as prisoners of war or missing in

H. R. No. 53 *HR40/R1947* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/HR40/R1947 PAGE 3 (CAA\BD) 68 action, and another 1,200 Americans were reported killed in action 69 without their bodies being recovered; and 70 WHEREAS, beginning on Memorial Day 2012 through November 71 11, 2025, the federal government began a partnership with local 72 governments, private organizations and communities across the 73 country to participate in the Commemoration of the 50th

74 Anniversary of the Vietnam War, a 13-year program to honor and 75 give thanks to a generation of proud Americans who saw our country 76 through one of the most challenging times; and 77 WHEREAS, in recognition of the men and women who served 78 with dignity and honor during this historic time period, let us 79 remember them and thank them for their service: 80 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

81 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby 82 pause to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, and 83 to pay tribute to those who served and to recognize the 84 achievements of these special individuals, fully confident that 85 such procedure mirrors our shared commitment to preserve and

86 ensure our American freedom. 87 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be furnished

88 to the Mississippi Department of Veterans' Affairs, and to the 89 veterans listed in this resolution and to the members of the 90 Capitol Press Corps.

H. R. No. 53 *HR40/R1947* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/HR40/R1947 ST: Vietnam War veterans; commemorate and pay PAGE 4 (CAA\BD) tribute to upon 50th anniversary of Vietnam War.