College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis spurs resolution to acknowledge Vietnam Veterans

Congressmen Dan Crenshaw, Jason Smith champion worthy legislation

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis called for a resolution to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans in his recently published book Vietnam 101. Congressman Dan Crenshaw, of the Texas Second Congressional District, put forth this legislation inspired by Vietnam 101 in Congress September 28, and if accepted, the joint resolution will result in a formal apology to Vietnam Veterans for the treatment they received upon returning home. The Bill was co-sponsored by Missouri Congressman Jason Smith of Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District.

“Vietnam is America’s unfinished business,” Davis said. “We owe Vietnam Veterans a formal apology. This resolution aims to offer Veterans and families the closure and honor they deserve. This is not about political parties — Democrats or Republicans — it’s about right or wrong.”

“Those of us (99 percent of the population) who have our freedom preserved by the one percent in uniform need to acknowledge how Vietnam Veterans and their families were treated before it’s too late. This still matters and must be addressed,” Davis said.

The Resolution was assigned a number — HJR 59. To follow its progress, visit https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-joint-resolution/59?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22HJr59%22%2C%22HJr59%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1

To read the resolution, visit https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hjres59/BILLS-117hjres59ih.pdf

In Section 1 of the Resolution, Crenshaw and Smith put forward a Resolution of Apology to Veterans of the Vietnam War:

The United States, acting through Congress—

(1) recognizes the extraordinary sacrifice of veterans of the Vietnam War and commends them for their unwavering and courageous sacrifice to our Nation;

(2) urges the President of the United States to formally acknowledge the widespread mistreatment of veterans of the Vietnam War;

(3) on behalf of the American people, issues the long-overdue formal apology to veterans of the Vietnam War and their families for the mistreatment they endured during and after the war; and

(4) expresses urgent support for increased education in our Nation’s schools to better reflect the courage and sacrifice of veterans of the Vietnam War and the lack of support back home.

A call to action

College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis recently wrote and published the book “Vietnam 101: A Class Like No Other,” in which he urges Congress to put forth this resolution. The book represents his passion and lifelong devotion to righting a wrong – the unforgiveable moment in history when hate and disrespect was extended to a group of soldiers who deserved our love and gratitude. This is his driving mission — to uncover the complexities, the mistakes, and the hurtful wrongs that were inflicted.

The book also chronicles Davis’ longtime commitment to these tasks by highlighting the Patriotic Education Travel Program at College of the Ozarks, a program he established to send Veterans, along with students, to the battlefields where they served. These Veterans share, with candor and honesty, their stories of battle with C of O students. They are stories the Veterans may have never told anyone before. They trust students to care well for these stories and to pass them on to the next generation.

In the forward for Davis’ book, Col. Oliver North laments the response of the American people to those who served in Vietnam: “Unlike the nearly 17 million men and women who donned uniforms during World War II, there were no victory parades for my own U.S. Army brother’s heroic service in Vietnam. Not one of the approximately 2.7 million American men and women with whom we served during the Vietnam War received so much as a “Thanks for fighting for us” note. The Vietnam War is the first armed conflict in the history of our nation in which our countrymen failed to welcome home its combat Veterans as heroes.”

“We especially appreciate combat Veteran Crenshaw joining us in this worthy endeavor,” Davis said.

To show your support of the Resolution and the efforts of College of the Ozarks, visit: cofo.edu/resolution