Remembering the 40th Anniversary of Black April and Honoring Those Who Fled to Freedom

April 30, 2015, is the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.  It is a time to remember and honor our more than 58,000 fallen and missing soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, our half a million Vietnam War veterans, and a million and a half South Vietnamese allies, as well as our allies from Australia, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and the Philippines, who fought and died in the pursuit of freedom and democracy.

Rescued refugees fly the flag of the Republic of Vietnam, 1980.

We must never forget their sacrifice.
This anniversary is also a time to recognize and celebrate the tremendous contributions that Vietnamese Americans have made to our nation and to our shared American way of life.
We must also use this anniversary to renew our commitment to ensure that human rights and freedom are one day respected in Vietnam.

Honored to stand with our Vietnamese friends and the Vietnamese community at Black April ceremony in Westminster.

Like many people in Orange County, I have been moved to tears by the heartbreaking stories of the suffering of many of my Vietnamese friends and their families — stories of their tremendous struggles and their remarkable strength in coming to this country as refugees in one of the largest mass migrations in modern history.
We must never forget the incredible hardships they endured and never cease to admire their courageous determination to live in freedom.