VIETNAMESE refugees aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the evacuations during “Black April” in 1975 (Wikipedia photo).
The City of Westminster will host its annual Black April event on Saturday, April 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Sid Goldstein Freedom Park, 14199 All American Way.
Members of the public are welcomed to attend, and the event will include remarks from elected officials, a moment of silence, and the presentation of a memorial wreath.
April 30 is annually known as Black April, or “Tháng Tı Ğen,” and is a day to lament and reflect upon the fall of Saigon and of South Vietnam, which took place April 30, 1975. As many as 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and nearly 60,000 American soldiers died during the Vietnam War.
Approved through a resolution of the city council in 2019, Westminster became the first city globally to recognize Black April Memorial Week. Leading up to the ceremony, the City flies the South Vietnamese flag at half-staff at the Vietnamese-American War Memorial at Sid Goldstein Freedom Park from April 23 through April 30.
At its upcoming Wednesday, April 27 meeting, the City Council is expected to proclaim April 30, 2022 as Black April Day in commemoration of the 47th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
For more details about the event, visit www.westminster-ca.gov or call the Community Services Department at (714) 895-2860.
Categories: Westminster
