[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 120 (Monday, July 14, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3206-H3207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING VETERANS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ARMED FORCES DAY

  (Mr. Tran of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)

[[Page H3207]]

  

  Mr. TRAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Honoring 
Veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day, or Ngay Quan Luc.
  Even 50 years after the Fall of Saigon, the legacy of the Republic of 
Vietnam forces lives on. We honor the soldiers of the Republic of 
Vietnam and the American soldiers who fought side by side for the 
ideals of freedom and democracy.
  Madam Speaker, 250,000 members of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces 
and more than 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces gave 
their lives for these ideals.
  As the first Vietnamese American to represent Orange County's Little 
Saigon community in Congress, I am humbled by the responsibility to 
carry this history forward. I am proud to introduce a congressional 
resolution to honor this day and ensure that our history can never be 
rewritten.


                       honoring vernon lee jumper

  Mr. TRAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
Vernon Jumper.
  After moving to Los Angeles with his family, Vern enlisted in the 
Navy in San Diego in 1951. Mr. Jumper became part of the air wing of 
the USS Midway and conducted about 100 combat missions in Vietnam 
beginning in the mid-1960s.
  Vern was instrumental in saving over 3,000 Americans and South 
Vietnamese refugees as air boss of the USS Midway during Operation 
Frequent Wind. He oversaw all flight operations on deck and within a 5-
mile radius of the ship, guiding evacuation helicopters onto the 
aircraft carrier's deck as Saigon fell in April 1975.
  Jumper is remembered for his incredible bravery during those 
harrowing 30 hours, especially when he arranged for helicopters to be 
pushed off the ship into the sea to make room for a tiny plane carrying 
a South Vietnamese Air Force pilot and his six family members.
  Vern exemplified what it means to be an American soldier, with his 
courage only matched by his humility.
  Vernon Jumper's legacy will live on for all who knew and loved him 
and for the thousands of Vietnamese Americans whose lives he helped 
save.
  Our entire country owes Vern a debt of gratitude. May he rest in 
peace.

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