Those who gathered at the shopping center, which is filled with Vietnamese restaurants and shops, sang the national anthem and patriotic Vietnamese songs. They had a moment of silence for those who died in the war. Democracy for Vietnam. Human rights for Vietnam. About 1,000 balloons and 24 doves were released.
Doves stand for peace.
Dallas received the largest number of Asian refugees east of the West Coast and became one of 17 cities selected to be a resettlement site. Many of those who fought for South Vietnam said they hoped the event would help teach youths about their country's troubled past. If there was a speech like this in Vietnam, everyone would've gotten shot. Tao Phan, a Grand Prairie resident, said he was shot in the leg while fighting for the South Vietnamese army. Two years after the fall of Saigon, Mr. Phan escaped in a boat.