[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[EXTENSI]
[Page 8362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY OF CLEVELAND AND THE THIRTIETH 
                   ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SAIGON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 28, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and 
recognition of the 30th 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. Three decades 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 and democracy.
  Despite the takeover, the culture, spirit and hope reflected by the 
Vietnamese people remained steadfast. After the communist takeover of 
Saigon, thousands of Vietnamese, determined to rebuild their lives, 
began their 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 back 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 sacrificed their lives in 
the name of freedom. Today, we also honor agencies and churches such as 
The Vietnamese Community of Greater Cleveland and St. Helena Catholic 
Church, that continue to 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 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--from Vietnam to 
America.

                          ____________________