A solemn commemoration in West Seattle today marked half a century since a difficult day in history.
This week will bring the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Today’s attendees and participants at the Vietnamese Cultural Center included South Vietnamese and U.S. military veterans.
Speakers talked about the “complicated” and painful feelings stirred by the anniversary.
The ceremony also included a chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders, who stood with flags throughout the program. The focus was on honoring fallen soldiers. Incense and food offerings were made. Attendees chanted “long live the Republic of Vietnam” and “Down with communism” in both Vietnamese and English.
One speaker who had served in the U.S. military during the war, 81-year-old U.S. Navy veteran Samuel Perkins, offered words in honor of the thousands of refugees rescued from Saigon who came to the U.S. and have worked hard for decades. “You came here with nothing and now you are more than great,” he said. (You can read some of the history of Southeast Asian refugees settling in our state after the war by going here.)
The Vietnamese Cultural Center is at 2236 SW Orchard, usually open to the public on Saturday afternoons. They also welcome community members during multiple cultural events each year, such as Vietnamese New Year and the Children’s Moonlight Festival.k
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