Bill Text: IL SR1173 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes and supports Lao veterans of the Vietnam War, supports and applauds Governor Quinn's proclamation naming July 19, 2014 as Lao Veterans Memorial Day, urges elected officials and the Department of Veterans' Affairs to work together to achieve burial rights for Lao American veterans in Illinois, urges educators to discuss the "Secret War" when talking about Vietnam War history, and commits to exploring ways to develop an Asian American social science history curriculum for public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-05-30 - Resolution Adopted [SR1173 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SR1173-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The United States was involved in combat missions | ||||||
3 | in Vietnam between
November 1, 1955 and November 30, 1975; and
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4 | WHEREAS, In 1961, North Vietnam forces advanced into South | ||||||
5 | Vietnam using the Ho Chi
Minh Trail which crossed into Laos; | ||||||
6 | and
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7 | WHEREAS, Combat that was fought during this time in Laos is | ||||||
8 | historically known as "the Secret War"; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Laotian soldiers and airmen were recruited and | ||||||
10 | trained to engage in guerilla
warfare against the North | ||||||
11 | Vietnamese; they fought alongside American soldiers, rescued
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12 | downed pilots, and defended American outposts; many were | ||||||
13 | injured, tortured, and killed; and
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14 | WHEREAS, After the evacuation of allied forces at the end | ||||||
15 | of the war, these soldiers and
their families were forced to | ||||||
16 | flee to Thailand for refuge, many eventually immigrated to the
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17 | United States; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Many chose Illinois as their new home, with over | ||||||
19 | an estimated 4,500 Lao Americans settling in Chicago and the | ||||||
20 | collar counties; and
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1 | WHEREAS, There are fewer than an estimated 100 Lao American | ||||||
2 | veterans still living in Illinois today; and
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3 | WHEREAS, In 2014, the City of Elgin placed an official | ||||||
4 | plaque at the Elgin Veterans
Memorial Park to recognize and | ||||||
5 | honor Laotian veterans who have served alongside United States | ||||||
6 | Armed Forces during the Vietnam War; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Governor Pat Quinn and Elgin Mayor David Kaptain | ||||||
8 | declared July 19, 2014 as the Lao Veterans Memorial Day, a day | ||||||
9 | to remember these brave soldiers; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Despite the service of these brave veterans and | ||||||
11 | this public recognition, these few remaining Lao American | ||||||
12 | veterans in Illinois are still denied the right to be buried in | ||||||
13 | U.S. national cemeteries and State cemeteries and are | ||||||
14 | ineligible for other benefits; therefore, be it
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15 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
16 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize and | ||||||
17 | support these Lao American veterans by acknowledging their | ||||||
18 | service and sacrifice made in fighting alongside U.S. Armed | ||||||
19 | Forces during the Vietnam War; and be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That we fully support and applaud Governor |
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1 | Quinn's proclamation of July 19, 2014 as Lao Veterans Memorial | ||||||
2 | Day; and be it further
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3 | RESOLVED, That we urge the General Assembly and the | ||||||
4 | Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide burial | ||||||
5 | rights for the few remaining Lao American veterans in Illinois; | ||||||
6 | and be it further
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7 | RESOLVED, That we urge all Illinois educators when | ||||||
8 | discussing the history of the Vietnam War to share with | ||||||
9 | students of an appropriate age the story of the "Secret War" | ||||||
10 | and the sacrifices made by those who fought alongside U.S. | ||||||
11 | Armed Forces; and be it further
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12 | RESOLVED, That we further commit to exploring ways to | ||||||
13 | develop an Asian American social science and history curriculum | ||||||
14 | for public schools that would provide in one centralized | ||||||
15 | structure the shared history of events, such as the story of | ||||||
16 | the "Secret War" and the service of Lao veterans, along with | ||||||
17 | many other examples of Asian American experiences in the United | ||||||
18 | States; and be it further
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19 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
20 | presented to the executive directors of the Lao American | ||||||
21 | Organization of Elgin, Lao Veterans Organization of Illinois, | ||||||
22 | Lao American Community Services, and Asian Americans Advancing |
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1 | Justice-Chicago.
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