Education Everywhere — President Gerald R. Ford’s son and the local Vietnamese community will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War May 9 in Grand Rapids.
Steven Ford will lead the event, which will include performances by Vietnamese-American singers, dancers and speakers, including East Kentwood High School art teacher Lệ Trần and alumni Sơn Trần.
The event, “50 Years After Saigon: Vietnamese Stories of a New Home,” will highlight President Ford’s leadership during Operation Babylift, which helped relocate thousands of Vietnamese children and families. Thuy Williams, who was 5 years old when she was brought to the United States in Operation Babylift, will also share her story.
In April 1975, President Ford launched Operation Babylift to rescue children from Vietnam as Communist forces moved towards Saigon. More than 3,000 children were brought to the United States and adopted. Saigon fell to the Communists on May 9, 1975, ending the Vietnam War.
The event will be Friday, May 9 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl St. NW in Grand Rapids from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Space is limited and registration is encouraged here.
