Section 1306 - Vietnam war veterans day(a)Legislative findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) The Vietnam Conflict was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to 1975 and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in conflict with the United States and South Vietnam.(2) The United States became involved in the Vietnam Conflict because policymakers in the United States believed that if South Vietnam fell to a communist government then communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia.(3) Members of the United States Armed Forces began serving in an advisory role to South Vietnam in 1961.(4) As a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2 and 4, 1964, the Congress of the United States overwhelmingly passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Public Law 88-408) on August 7, 1964, effectively handing over warmaking powers to President Lyndon B. Johnson until the time of the return of peace and security to Vietnam.(5) In 1965, United States Armed Forces ground combat units arrived in Vietnam.(6) By the end of 1965 there were 80,000 United States troops in Vietnam.(7) By 1969, a peak of approximately 543,000 troops was reached.(8) On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, requiring 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.(9) On March 29, 1973, the United States Armed Forces completed the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam.(10) On March 30, 1973, the last of the United States Armed Forces landed at home.(11) More than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000 members were wounded.(12) 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 the public of the United States to acknowledge and honor the efforts and services of those veterans.(13) The members of the United States Armed Forces who served bravely and faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were often wrongly criticized for the decisions of policymakers that were beyond the control of those members.(14) In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated by President Ronald Reagan in the District of Columbia to commemorate those members of the United States Armed Forces who died or were declared missing in action in Vietnam.(15) In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day.(16) In 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 which designates March 29 each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day and amended the United States Flag Code to include National Vietnam War Veterans Day as a day on which the flag should be flown.(b)Designation.--March 29 of each year is designated as Vietnam War Veterans Day in this Commonwealth.(c)Proclamation.--The Governor shall issue annually a proclamation encouraging all public schools and educational institutions to observe Vietnam War Veterans Day and conduct exercises recognizing the contributions of all those involved in the Vietnam War and remembering the sacrifices they made for their country. The proclamation may not mandate a public school or educational institution to participate in the observance.Added by P.L. (number not assigned at time of publication) 2024 No. 124,§ 1, eff. 12/30/2024.