Whereas the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, or South Vietnamese Armed Forces, were formally established on December 30, 1955, by Ngo Dinh Diem, the first President of South Vietnam;

Whereas the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces consisted of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, and the Republic of Vietnam Navy, which included the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division;

Whereas the duties of those branches included protecting the sovereignty of the free Vietnamese nation and the Republic, maintaining the political and social order and the rule of law by providing internal security, defending the newly independent Republic of Vietnam from external and internal threats, and helping to reunify Vietnam, a country that had been divided since the Geneva Accords of 1954;

Whereas the Vietnam war brought about the loss of more than 250,000 members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces and more than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces;

Whereas more than 300,000 members of the United States Armed Forces, and more than 1,000,000 members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces, were injured;

Whereas after the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, more than 250,000 members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces were sent to prison camps where many spent 18 years or more in captivity, and more than 20,000 died before they were released;

Whereas the end of the Vietnam war left the South Vietnamese Armed Forces in disarray;

Whereas many military personnel and their family members fled Vietnam to escape tyrannical authoritarian rule and oppression, hoping to find democracy and freedom in the United States and other free nations;

Whereas they spent months at sea and in jungles, battling hunger, thirst, and separation from their families and loved ones;

Whereas many of those who reached the United States found refuge throughout the country where they faced socioeconomic challenges, but were determined to build new lives here;

Whereas, in the United States, these military personnel continued to fight for their home country and the people there;

Whereas they have been a strong voice for democracy, religious freedom, and human rights in Vietnam, and have contributed culturally and economically to American society and to the diversity of our Nation;

Whereas these veterans were fighting side-by-side with American troops against a common enemy and risked their lives to save many American lives;

Whereas all veterans who risked their lives fighting for freedom in the Vietnam war should be honored for their distinguished service and for the contributions they continue to provide to the United States as American citizens;

Whereas annually Vietnamese Americans around the world recognize the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day on June 19, and this year, 2025, marks the 60th anniversary of this annual commemoration;

Whereas thousands of veterans of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces now reside in the United States and participate in activities sponsored by American veterans, including Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Independence Day; and

Whereas the members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, and those who have contributed greatly to the development of American society, deserve to be honored and recognized: Now, therefore, be it