|
|
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 592
|
|
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
|
join Texans across the state in commemorating the anniversary of |
|
the fall of Saigon; and |
|
WHEREAS, In December of 1974, elements of the People's |
|
Army of North Vietnam began to gain significant military |
|
victories against South Vietnamese forces in the Central |
|
Highlands of South Vietnam; by the end of March, 1975, advancing |
|
North Vietnamese troops had captured the strategically crucial |
|
cities of Hue and Da Nang; |
|
WHEREAS, American officials, concerned about the loss of |
|
those key cities and the vulnerability of the capital city of |
|
Saigon, began making plans for the evacuation of American |
|
personnel and friendly South Vietnamese refugees; the rapid |
|
advance of the North Vietnamese military and the significant |
|
damage they inflicted on runways at the Tan Son Nhat airport |
|
forced a change in American evacuation plans from the use of |
|
fixed-wing aircraft to the use of helicopters; and |
|
WHEREAS, In early April, more than 110,000 South |
|
Vietnamese refugees and 2,000 orphans had been evacuated from Tan |
|
Son Nhat; on the evening of April 29, the United States Defense |
|
Attaché's Office became a major departure point, with an |
|
additional 4,300 American personnel and Vietnamese allies |
|
evacuated; flights from Vietnam continued until 3:45 a.m. the |
|
following morning, but were halted when Ambassador Graham Martin |
|
received direct orders from President Gerald Ford to leave |
|
Saigon; and |
|
WHEREAS, The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, marked the end |
|
of one of the longest wars in American history; the courage and |
|
sacrifice of embassy personnel who served until the end and of the |
|
United States Marines who protected them will continue to serve as |
|
an inspiration to future generations; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
|
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the men and women who were |
|
present at the fall of Saigon; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in |
|
honor of this historic event. |
|
Lucio |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
I hereby certify that the |
|
|
above Resolution was adopted by |
|
|
the Senate on April 10, 2017. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
Member, Texas Senate |