[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY OF CLEVELAND AND THE 31ST 
                   ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SAIGON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and 
recognition of the 31st Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. This 
historical date commemorates the end of the Vietnam War, and represents 
the beginning of a new life for tens of thousands of Vietnamese people, 
as they began their hopeful journey to America.
  On April 30, 1975, the ancient city of Saigon fell to the conquest of 
communist troops. This action solidified the communist takeover of 
South Vietnam. Thirty-one years later, I rise to honor the memory and 
sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, South 
Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who made the ultimate sacrifice in 
the name of liberty.
  Despite the takeover and the Communist rule that followed, the 
culture, spirit and hope reflected by the Vietnamese people remained 
steadfast. After the fall of Saigon, thousands of Vietnamese, 
determined to rebuild their lives, began a treacherous exodus out of 
Vietnam. Their daring escape was on foot, through thick jungles and 
over jagged mountains. They escaped by boat, through snake-infested 
rivers and across turbulent seas. They became refugees in many nations, 
including America, with nothing more than the clothes on their backs 
and the hope for freedom in their hearts.
  Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me to honor and remember the 
hundreds of thousands of men and women who struggle for peace and 
freedom, then and now. We also honor agencies and churches such as The 
Vietnamese Community of Greater Cleveland and St. Helena Catholic 
Church, which offer a haven of support, services and hope to immigrants 
from all over the world. The Vietnamese culture, through the care and 
commitment of its people, has flourished in Cleveland and across 
America, yet remains forever connected to its ancient cultural and 
historical traditions that spiral back throughout the centuries, 
connecting the old world to the new, spanning oceans and borders in the 
ageless quest for peace--from Vietnam to America.

                          ____________________