Minnesota State Capitol event commemorates 50 years since end of Vietnam War
The local organization Vietnamese Community of Minnesota held a somber, but sunny event Saturday at the Minnesota State Capitol to commemorate 50 years since April 30, 1975 — when the Vietnam War ended.
"I was in the Vietnamese military and I lost my legs in the war" said Nam Tong, who is a Vietnamese veteran. "We had to observe to see if any communists were coming around and I stepped on an explosive. That's how I lost my legs."
Not only was it an emotional time for the Vietnamese community, but Lao, Hmong, American and Cambodian communities, too.
Part of the commemoration included the carrying of a south Vietnamese flag over to the Minnesota Vietnam Memorial, with those who served included. First-generation Vietnamese American Alex Pham told WCCO about his grandfather, who served in the south Vietnamese army.
"He suffered a lot of things from the communist government when he was imprisoned" said Pham, while recognizing his grandfather's sacrifice. "If it wasn't for him, being able to fight for me and bring my family over here, then I wouldn't have the opportunities today. I'm a student pilot, have a private license and I'm going for Delta Air Lines."
And State Sen. Mark Koran, who grew up in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul, remembers how it impacted Minnesota drastically.
"As a 10 year old in our community, it was a drastic change. We really hadn't has any mass migration into the heart of St. Paul, Minneapolis. It typically came through the coast," said Koran.
Many populations fled to the U.S. after North Vietnam took control. Those groups now make up more than 2% of Minnesota's population.
