Expressing the approval of Congress for the 50th anniversary celebration of the homecoming of United States prisoners of war from Vietnam and in recognition of the extraordinary service and sacrifices of such prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

Expressing the approval of Congress for the 50th anniversary celebration of the homecoming of United States prisoners of war from Vietnam and in recognition of the extraordinary service and sacrifices of such prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

Whereas more than 2,700,000 members of the United States Armed Forces served in the Vietnam War;

Whereas more than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces lost their lives and 153,000 were wounded;

Whereas, during the conflict, approximately 766 members of the Armed Forces of the United States were taken captive as prisoners of war by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the allies of that Government;

Whereas many of the prisoners of war were Navy and Air Force aviators shot down over the jungles of North Vietnam, and during captivity the prisoners endured brutal conditions, including torture, forced labor, and prolonged solitary confinement;

Whereas prisoners of war were held in more than a dozen prisons throughout North Vietnam, including in the famous prison camp known as the “Hanoi Hilton”, but despite the challenging conditions, many of the prisoners of war held by the North Vietnamese maintained their honor, resilience, and loyalty to their country and fellow members of the Armed Forces;

Whereas the return of the prisoners of war was a nonnegotiable condition for President Richard Nixon as his administration negotiated an end to the Vietnam War;

Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam (commonly known as the “Paris Peace Accords”) was signed, ending the involvement of the United States in Vietnam and requiring the return of the United States prisoners of war within 60 days of the signing of the agreement;

Whereas, between February and March 1973, 591 members of the Armed Forces were released by the North Vietnamese;

Whereas more than 114 prisoners of war died in captivity;

Whereas the return of the prisoners of war held by the North Vietnamese had a tremendous effect on the formation of the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (referred to in this preamble as “POW/MIA”) movement in the United States, which is led by the National League of POW/MIA Families;

Whereas, in 1972, the National League of POW/MIA Families adopted the National POW/MIA flag, which flies over Federal buildings, including the United States Capitol, on days the United States flag is flown;

Whereas 50 years after the prisoners of war held by the North Vietnamese gained their freedom, the resilience, courage, and patriotism of the prisoners of war continues to inspire generations of citizens of the United States; and

Whereas the Richard Nixon Presidential Library will host the official 50th Anniversary celebration of the homecoming of United States POWs from Vietnam, from May 23 to 25, 2023, in Yorba Linda, California: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved,