Message from Isabel Le:
Dear Friends,
I would like to share with you the event that I attended on August
7, 2005 at the Vietnam War Memorial Center, Westminster, California. The event
was a tribute to General William Westmoreland. General Westmoreland passed away
on July 18, 2005 in South Carolina.
In the event, about 200 people gathered to pay their tribute to
General Westmoreland. Mrs. Nguyet Minh Nguyen, President of the Vietnamese
Community of Southern California, commemorated the event with a summary of a
biography of General Westmoreland, which was composed by Colonel Thuan Pham in
the Vietnamese language to pay tribute to General Westmoreland. Mr. Frank Fry,
Council Member of City of Westminster, California, also said a few words.
Speeches were presented in both Vietnamese and English.
The commemoration text is below.
Click here to view
the pictures.
"Today, besides gathering here to take part in the salutation of the United
States and Vietnam Flags, we are here to especially commemorate the decease of
General William Childs Westmoreland, who passed away on July 18, 2005 in South
Carolina after a glorious military career and a long illness.
The name Westmoreland is indeed very familiar among the soldiers of the Republic
of Vietnam’s Armed Forces. Not only did General Westmoreland exhibit
gallantry and courage on the battlefields of North Africa, Italy, France during
the Second World War, but General Westmoreland also showed exemplary leadership
during his 4 year tour from 1964 to 1968 as Commander-in-chief of the US Armed
Forces in Vietnam.
General Westmoreland’s strategy in Vietnam was that of attrition, he wanted to
draw the enemy in large battlefields and crush them with the firepower of the US Air
Force, and in so doing to defeat the enemy or at least stop their offensive
against the Republic of Vietnam. In order to destroy the Viet Cong’s sanctuary,
General Westmoreland extended the war to Laos and Cambodian territory. General
Westmoreland was most eager to defeat the enemy on the battlefields, rather than
to negotiate a truce on the conference table.
Today, we gather here to commemorate the passing of a US Military Commander who
had fought along side the soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of
Vietnam, and had earned their admiration because General Westmoreland was a
typical soldier who fought for the Freedom cause.
Thus, we are here to pay our respect and our deepest gratitude to a fallen
hero."
A message from Tony Lam:
First and foremost, I am very grateful for the
thoughtfulness by the Vietnam Veterans to organize that event to express our
sympathy for the passing of a great Commanding General who had devoted his
military career for the freedom of the world and symbolizing what America is
all about. Unfortunately, I missed being at this event due to sickness of
one of my family members. I recall, when I first met with General
Westmoreland; it was in Tuy Hoa when I was Area Specialist for Robert J.
Burns. Bob then introduce me to General Westmoreland, he was three star
general; I was too nervous addressing him as Colonel, I apologize
the General right away. The second time General Westmoreland made a stop at
the Cam Ranh Bay Piers where my company was the Prime Contractor providing
stevedoring and management of the Cam Ranh Bay Logistical Support
Depot under the Vietnamezation program; He praised my company for our
performance and personally said goodbye to me that He was on his way home to
America. The third time when he visit Little Saigon, I had the privilege of
escorting him to Asian Garden Mall and hosting a luncheon along with Bob
Burns and Frank Jao; General Westmoreland pointed to me saying the this man
(i.e. Tony Lam) was the person demoted me when he first introduced to me by
Bob Burns. I always carry that unforgettable memory with me.
May General Westmoreland's heart and mind rest in peace.