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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The year 2023 marks the 48th anniversary of the fall |
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of South Vietnam and the subsequent emigration of hundreds of |
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thousands of Vietnamese refugees, many of whom settled in the |
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United States; and |
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WHEREAS, On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops occupied |
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Saigon, bringing a final end to the Vietnam War, during which |
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American service personnel fought alongside South Vietnamese |
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troops to oppose the communist forces of North Vietnam and their |
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allies; during the course of the conflict, more than 58,000 |
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American service members lost their lives and over 100,000 were |
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seriously wounded; losses among South Vietnamese forces are |
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estimated at a quarter of a million killed and perhaps as many badly |
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injured, and countless civilians perished; and |
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WHEREAS, American military involvement in the war ended with |
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the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973; a small |
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number of U.S. troops remained in South Vietnam to guard the |
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American Embassy in Saigon, but the last of those were withdrawn in |
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April 1975, as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on the city; in |
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the days before Saigon fell, more than 100,000 Vietnamese were |
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evacuated to the United States, including military personnel and |
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others whose previous associations made them targets of the Viet |
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Cong and North Vietnamese; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the ensuing decade, the Communists tightened |
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their grip on the country and hundreds of thousands more people |
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fled; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite challenges, a multitude of Vietnamese |
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emigrants were able to establish new lives in other countries; |
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those settling in the United States were aided by the generous |
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efforts of the many Americans who extended a helping hand, and |
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vibrant Vietnamese communities began to take root in cities across |
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the nation; by 2021, this population had reached approximately 1.9 |
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million and constituted the fourth-largest Asian immigrant group in |
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the nation; Texas is now home to almost 300,000 Vietnamese |
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Americans, who have made substantial contributions to the economy, |
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education, public service, science, medicine, the arts, and many |
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other aspects of society; and |
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WHEREAS, The observance of this somber anniversary reminds us |
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of the magnitude of the sacrifices made and hardships endured in the |
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quest for freedom, and we pay tribute to those whose lives were lost |
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and recognize the courage and determination of the Vietnamese |
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people who came to these shores in search of a better life; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 48th anniversary of the fall of |
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South Vietnam at the conclusion of the Vietnam War. |