"Despite serving honorably and bravely in Vietnam, our soldiers arrived home to a country in political turmoil and never received the recognition they deserved," Senator Burr said. "By setting March 29th aside as a day to remember and thank our Vietnam veterans, we can show our unified gratitude for their service and the sacrifices they made on our behalf."

"Each and every American service member who sacrifices for our country deserves to be welcomed home by a grateful nation," Senator Boxer said. "Establishing a national day of recognition for veterans of the Vietnam War will honor their service and show the deep appreciation we feel for these brave men and women." 

Senator Burr encourages communities throughout the country to take measures to commemorate this day by honoring Vietnam veterans in their area. This is the third consecutive year that Senator Burr has introduced a resolution for the establishment of "Vietnam Veterans Day." Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) co-sponsored the legislation.  

The United States became involved in Vietnam because policy-makers believed that if South Vietnam fell to a communist government, communism would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia.  The US Armed Forces began serving in an advisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1950, and in 1965, ground combat troops were sent into Vietnam.  After many years of combat, all US troops were withdrawn from Vietnam on March 29, 1973, under the terms of the Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam (commonly known as the "Paris Peace Accords"). More than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their lives and more than 300,000 were wounded in Vietnam.