>>>
>>> A
>>> A NEW
>>> A NEW MEMORIAL IN AUBURN HONORS AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS
AND SOUTH VIETNAMESE
COUNTERPARTS WHO FOUGHT FOR
DEMOCRACY IN VIETNAM.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DIED
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. THE VIETNAM WAR MEMORIAL PROJECT
SPEARHEADED BY THE AMERICAN
VIETNAMESE WAR ALIGNS IN AN
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN
VETERANS AND FAMILIES AS WELL
AS MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH
VIETNAMESE REFUGEE COMMUNITY.
PLEASE WELCOME THE COPRESIDENTS
LAN FAN JONES AND PETE LEWIS.
WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. THIS IS QUITE THE PROJECT THAT
YOU HAVE SPEARHEADED.
LET'S START WITH HOW IT CAME
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. WHERE DID THIS START?
>> IT STARTS WITH YOU.
>> AS YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A
VETERAN BUT MY FATHER WAS.
FROM THAT, I KNOW HAVE THE
SOUTH VIETNAMESE VETERANS THINK
AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY ARE VERY SAD.
BECAUSE OF THE OUTCOME OF THE
WAR, THEY LOST THE COUNTRY TO
THE COMMUNISTS.
THE COMMUNISTS. THEY FEEL BADLY FROM THE WINTER.
THE COMMUNISTS.
THE COMMUNISTS. THEY ARE VERY SAD.
THEN I HAD A CHANCE TO MEET A
LOT OF AMERICANS WHO ARE
VETERANS.
VETERANS.
VETERANS. THEY ARE SAD, TOO.
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE
AMERICANS TREATED THEM WHEN
THEY CAME HOME.
SO I FEEL -- I HAVE TO DO
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. TO MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER.
WE SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO THEM
. MAYBE THEY FEEL BETTER.
THEN I BROUGHT THIS TO THE VA --
>> IS THAT WHERE YOU MET PETE?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. VA
>> NO. VA HELPED ME DO THE PROJECT.
COMBINED ME WITH THE OTHERS.
SO WE STARTED FROM THERE.
THE PROJECT WAS APPROVED TO DO
THE ADDITION AT THE MEMORIAL.
AMERICAN WANTED THE PLAQUE.
SO TWO GROUPS, AMERICANS AND
SOUTH VIETNAMESE WORK TOGETHER
FROM THE FIRST PROJECT.
>> THAT IS REALLY COOL.
IT WAS CANCELED?
>> THAT'S HOW PETE GOT INTO THE
PICTURE.
PICTURE.
PICTURE. >> SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
>> I'M A VIETNAM VETERAN.
I CAME BACK AND WENT THROUGH
WHAT A MEMBER OF THE VIETNAM
VETS DID.
VETS DID.
VETS DID. DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH
THE MILITARY.
THE MILITARY. MY WIFE IS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF
THE VFW AND CONVINCED ME TO GET
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED. ALONG WITH FORMER MAYOR JOHN
WISE, HE'S COSPONSORING THIS
OTHER PROJECT THAT I WAS
INVITED TO DC TO BECOME ONE OF
THE FIRST CITY PARTNERS OF THE
VIETNAM WAR COMMEMORATION.
SO I CAME BACK TO THAT, MET UP
WITH JOHN LEE WHO IS THE
DIRECTOR THE VA AND DISCOVERED
THAT MY CITY AND A LOT OF
CITIZENS HAD BUILT A VETERANS
MEMORIAL AND THE COUNCIL
RENAMED THE PARK VETERANS PARK.
IT WAS FOR THE VETERANS.
JOHN CALLS ME AND SAYS, WE
TRIED TO PUT THIS MONUMENT IN
OLYMPIA BUT WE CAN'T DO IT, WE
HAVE TOO MUCH OPPOSITION.
CAN WE DO IT THERE WHERE YOU
HAVE THE LARGEST PARADE WEST OF
THE MISSISSIPPI.
THE MISSISSIPPI. SO I SAID YES.
WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE A
LITTLE OPPOSITION.
LITTLE OPPOSITION. AND THE CONCERN WAS WHERE DO WE
PUT IT.
PUT IT.
PUT IT. I
PUT IT. I WAS OUT OF OFFICE AT THAT
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. THE
TIME. THE COUNCIL DECIDED TO PUT IT
IN THE CENTRAL PARK CALLED
VASCO PARK.
VASCO PARK. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> IN HERE IS A PICTURE OF IT.
WHAT DID THAT FEEL LIKE?
I SEE THIS IS THE OPENING
CEREMONY.
CEREMONY.
CEREMONY. >> THIS IS A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE
THE VIETNAM VETERANS HAVE NEVER
FELT LIKE THEY WERE APPRECIATED.
THE AMERICANS -- THE AMERICAN
VIETNAM VETERANS FEEL LIKE THEY
LOST THE COUNTRY.
SO THE AMERICAN -- IT IS ALL-
AMERICAN SIDE.
AMERICAN SIDE. THIS WAS FINALLY A PLACE THAT
WAS THERE IS WHERE THEY COULD
GO TO AND SEE THE THINGS OF THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. >> WHAT DO YOU WANT VISITORS TO
TAKE AWAY?
TAKE AWAY? >> REMEMBER.
>> REMEMBER. ALWAYS REMEMBER. WHEN THE
AMERICAN VIETNAM VETERANS SIDE,
WE DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO BE
FORGOTTEN AS WE WERE.
FOR THE VIETNAMESE, THEY WERE
BECOMING VETERANS.
BECOMING VETERANS. SO THERE'S A TRADITION THAT
THEY HAVE A UNIFORM AND THEY
DON'T WANT TO BE FORGOTTEN,
EITHER.
EITHER.
EITHER. >> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
NOW THAT THIS FINALLY HAS COME
TO FRUITION?
TO FRUITION? >> IT IS HOPE FOR ALL OF THE
VIETNAM WAR VETERANS.
THEY GOT THEIR PRIDE BACK.
WHAT THEY DID FOR MY COUNTRY
BEFORE, THEY HAVE A GOOD CAUSE
FOR THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE.
I HOPE THAT THIS IS THE TIME
FOR THEM TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT
THEMSELVES. TO GET THEIR PRIDE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING YOU DID.
THE JOINT VIETNAMESE WARM MORE
OF IS LOCATED ON THE TRAIL IN
THE LESS GROVE PARK.