50 Years after Saigon: Vietnamese Stories of a New Home

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

It’s been 50 years since the fall of Saigon and the end of American involvement in the Vietnam War. One of the most notable outcomes of the fall of Saigon was the welcoming of our allies in Vietnam to find refuge and home here in the U.S.

Operation Babylift, President Ford’s initiative that evacuated thousands of South Vietnamese children from the country as northern forces took over was the first effort in April 1975. One month later Gerald Ford asked the nation to open its doors to refugees that included families and other allies. In Grand Rapids, the local religious, education and political communities embraced this charge from Gerald Ford. Fifty years later, those refugees continue to build a vibrant and contributing community.

Join us as we commemorate the new lives many Vietnamese were able to forge since April 1975 – around the world, across the nation, and even here in West Michigan.

President and Betty Ford’s son, Steve Ford, will take the stage during the program. Operation Babylift is one of Steve’s favorite legacies of his father; he is pleased to be welcoming to the stage Vietnamese adoptee Thuy Williams, an Operation Babylift evacuee who grew up in Portland, Oregon.

Following Thuy, local Vietnamese American panelists will share their stories of building community in West Michigan. Panelists will include:

Lệ Trần

Father Peter Vũ

Alice Kennedy

Duyên Bùi

A current East Kentwood High student

Attendees will also be treated to a musical performance from Vietnamese American singers:

Ánh Trần

Khoa Mai

Thu-Hương Nguyễn

Cường Lương

Space is limited and registration is encouraged.