VIETNAMESE flag was honored at “Black April” observance on Tuesday in Westminster (Orange County Tribune photos).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

On a bright, sunny day in Westminster hundreds of people gathered at Sid Goldstein Freedom Park to observe one of the darkest days in their history.

Vietnamese residents and others solemnly commemorated the April 1975 conquest of the former Republic of (South) Vietnam by Communist North Vietnamese forces, an event – now known as “Black April” – that sent tens of thousands of people on an exodus that brought them to Orange County and Westminster.

The scene was colorful with American and Vietnamese flags, , wreaths, flowers and military uniforms that recalled the struggle that ended in the fall of Saigon.

WESTMINSTER Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen speaking at “Black April” event.

The national anthems of the Republic of Vietnam and the United States were sung and a moment of silence was held for those lost in the conflict as well as those still suffering from its consequences. Local officials made comments and prayers were offered.

City Manager Christine Cordon and Public Works Director/City Engineer Jake Ngo served as masters of ceremony, welcoming those in attendance and thanking them for being present.

Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen made the opening remarks and sought to place the event in perspective.

“Today’s ceremony is not only for the purpose of expressing gratitude and praying for the souls of soldiers and allies who sacrificed their lives for the homeland, but also for those heroic soldiers who had to endure a lifetime of disability,” he said.

“Today’s ceremony also affirms the stance of the Vietnamese community that we will never accept the dictatorial rule of the communist regime. It is also an opportunity for us to tell the next generation as to why we are here and why we had to leave our homeland.

“Today the Vietnamese-American community has also integrated into local life. Here, the community of Westminster, known as Little Saigon, continues to condemn the crimes and brutality of the Vietnamese communist party.

“On this occasion of national remembrance, April 30 of this year, please let each of us pray for the heroic sprit of those who sacrificed their lives to protect independence in South Vietnam and continue to fight for the Vietnam that will soon be at peace, and its people will truly have prosperity and happiness.”