[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 8, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY OF CLEVELAND AND THE 37TH 
                   ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SAIGON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 8, 2012

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and 
recognition of the 37th 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-seven years later, I rise to honor the memory and 
sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers, 
American soldiers and civilians who made the ultimate sacrifice in the 
name of liberty.
  Despite the violent takeover and the rule of repression 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 in honoring and 
remembering 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 havens 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.

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