[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6548-6549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY OF CLEVELAND AND THE 36TH 
                   ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SAIGON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and 
recognition of the 36th 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-six 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

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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.

                          ____________________