THE WALL THAT HEALS
Hình Ảnh Trong Ngày Thăm Viếng
Diễn Văn Khai Mạc Của Trưởng Ban Tổ Chức - Opening Remark
Dưới đây là bài diễn văn khai mạc của Trưởng Ban Tổ Chức: Cô Chau Kelley
• Chairman Christopher Lizotte,
• State Rep. Michael Finn of West Springfield, Mass.,
• Distinguished guests,
• Ladies and Gentlemen,
• My name is Chau Kelley and I am a Political Chair of the Vietnamese American Community of Mass and I am honored to work closely with Chairman Christopher Lizotte in organizing this Vietnamese American Commemoration Ceremony program today. First of all, we would like to welcome all of our distinguished guests and all of you coming here today! Your presence is important to us all and we appreciated that many of you drive such a long distances from many states to be here today! We would like to thank Mayor Reichelt for your support in this journey and specifically thank you to Chairman Lizotte for giving our Vietnamese American Community this opportunity to participate in The Wall That Heals program here in West Springfield, Mass. We would like to thank the planning committee of your hard work for over a year to put this event together. We would like to thank Mr. Eugene Cassidy, the CEO and President of Eastern States Exposition for your generous contributions for this event and warm welcome to the Vietnamese American communities.
• Like most South Vietnam officers, my dad was a Marine Captain fought alongside with the US forces. He was in the battle of Tet Offensive in 1968 in Saigon and in Quang Tri in the summer of 1972. As all South Vietnam Army officers, he was imprisoned in hard labor prison camps since 1975 for 7 years and never got to see his family. Like most officer’s wife, my mom and three kids could barely survive under the prosecution and retaliation of the Vietnamese Communist. I was able to get education but most of the children of anyone that have ties with the former government were deprived of education and most of these families were forced to go to new economic areas. It means we were forced to leave our home and must go to places with no civilization, no power, no road and try to survive on their own. My family was one of them. I have no recollection of the war but much thanks to my mom who kept telling me stories about my dad, his soldiers and the American soldiers during the war. Therefore, I grew up feeling like I know all of you and feel like I am part of this big family – both American and Vietnamese Veterans Growing up in VN, I had never heard of these terminologies: human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression until I came to US. Then I realized of what the Vietnamese people in my country including myself have been deprived of! For example, Father Thedeau Ly Van Nguyen who was born in 1946 and he spoke up about freedom of religion. As a result of it, he was arrested and sent to prison in and out in total of 15 years. There is no such a thing in America! Why whould a priest be arrested for demanding freedom of worshiping God?! Early this year, Formosa is a Taiwanese steel plant. They dumped tons of toxic wastes into the ocean in the middle part of Vietnam and killed more than 60 tons of fishes, birds ended up dead from eating these dead fishes. The toxic contaminated the ocean floor so Vietnamese people took it to the street with a peaceful protest demanding clean environment. They got brutally beaten up by the communist polices and hired thugs. Many of protesters were arrested and sent to prison. There is no such thing in America! Last month, an international tribunal in The Hague rejected China’s argument that it enjoys historic rights over most of South China Sea. China was brought to court by Philippines and the court ruled in favor of Philippines. This decision is good for Vietnam indirectly because many of the islands in Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands belongs to Vietnam and China took control over and built an airport on it. For those of you that were in the Navy and still remember Vietnamese, these islands are Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. So the people of Vietnam took it to a street to celebrate the victory of Philippines and have banners reaffirmed the Hague’s decision. Again, these protesters got beaten up and arrested by communist police and thugs. Since when patriotism deserved to be imprisoned? Only in Vietnam since 1975 and not in America for certain! However, the people of South Vietnam got to enjoy all of the above basic human rights up until April 30, 1975. We did! Thanks to more than 58,000 US soldiers and more than 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers that laid their lives down defending South Vietnam. Because of their ultimate sacrifices and all of the Vietnam veterans, the people of South Vietnam got to breath, live, and taste true freedom and democracy even just for such a short period of time! Therefore, what we are plan to do here today is our way of paying our respect and to honor these true heroes!
• I would like to read the world’s famous war memorial poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to you. It is called In Flanders Fields.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields
My favorite part is :
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
That speaks it all for us! As community leaders, we have to hold high the torch that was passed down from those failing hands of our fallen heroes and it is our duty to light the way for our community to follow and that path is: we NEVER FORGET THOSE THAT SACRIFICED THEIR OWN LIVES so we can live in true freedom and democracy. No matter what US and Vietnamese communist media propaganda said, we the Vietnamese American always appreciate all the sacrifices of all American service men and women made during the Vietnam war. We appreciate and honor all Vietnam Veterans (living and deceased alike) as our heroes! You are our true heroes and we thank you very much! We do not dare to break faith with those who die because they shall not sleep as said in the poem. You have done more than enough! Please rest in peace and sleep well! We will carry on where you left off.
I would like to end with the remarks from General Douglas MacArthur from his farewell speech: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away” However, to the Vietnamese American and the people of South Vietnam, you never fade away! You are always in our heart and we will always remember and never forget!
May God blesses you all and thank you for your attention!