Wichita Vietnamese American Memorial
Republic of Vietnam • Viêt Nam Công Hòa
We, the Vietnamese American Community of Wichita, Kansas, dedicate this plaque in the memory and honor of American, Vietnamese and Allied soldiers who fought to resist the North Vietnamese Communist aggression against the Republic of Vietnam. We honor in particular the more than 58,000 American soldiers who sacrificed their own lives for the cause of freedom in our land. These men and women valiantly discharged their duties and shed their blood on our soil for a noble cause - that the South Vietnamese may live in freedom for many years.
After Communists conquered the South in 1975, millions of South Vietnamese rejected the prospect of living under an authoritarian regime, and fled their homeland by land and sea to search for freedom. Along their arduous journeys, hundreds of thousands perished in the jungles, on the oceans, and in refugee camps. We were among those who survived and arrived in this land of the free.
Having faced crimes against humanity committed by the Communists, we fully appreciate the value of freedom and democracy. Therefore, we would like to express our profound gratitude to those who fought by our side, and to the American people who have embraced us with wide open arms and provided us with new opportunities.
We have begun anew in this "Land of Liberty".
[There is also a Vietnamese language version on the plaque]
Courtesy hmdb.org
