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WE GATHER TO PAY RESPECTS TO OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE SERVED IN VIETNAM AND PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE WHILE IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. IN FRISCO WE HOLD OUR VETERANS TO THE HIGHEST REGARD. THEY ARE THE BEDROCK OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE EMBODIMENT OF COURAGE, SACRIFICE AND SELFLESSNESS. IN FRISCO WE STAND UNITED IN OUR DEDICATION TO OUR VETERANS, ENSURING THAT THEIR STORIES ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN AND THEIR SACRIFICE NEVER IN VAIN. BRINGING THE WALL HOME TO COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY ALLOWS THE SOULS ENSHRINED ON THE MEMORIAL TO EXIST ONCE MORE AMONG FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE PEACE AND COMFORT OF FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS. FRISCO WAS FORTUNATE TO ONLY LOSE ONE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, BUT EVEN ONE IS TOO MANY. WITH THE WALL THAT HEALS IN FRONT OF US I BELIEVE WE CAN USE THIS TIME TO HEAL AS WE REMEMBER FRISCO'S OWN CORPORAL ROBERT RAY BROWN. ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 1ST 1967 AFTER ONLY 23 DAYS IN VIETNAM CORPORAL ROBERT RAY BROWN WAS KILLED WHEN HIT BY VIET KONG SNIPER ATTACKS IN KIEN HOA PROVINCE HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD. YOU LIVE AND THE PAIN NEVER GOES AWAY BUT YOU LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE STILL DOING STILL MISS OUR BROTHER. I DO REMEMBER THE FUNERAL THE 21 GUN SALUTE AND THE TAPS AND TO THIS DAY EVERY TIME I HEAR IT IT MAKES ME TEAR UP. AND I ALSO REMEMBER SEEING THE LOOK IN MY MAMA'S FACE. THIS WEEK MARKED THE 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM. FOR THE VIETNAMESE DIASPORA THE 30TH OF APRIL REMAINS A DAY OF MOURNING. MY FAMILY AND MANY OF THE VIETNAMESE AMERICANS PRESENT HERE TODAY LEFT EVERYTHING BEHIND ON THAT FATEFUL DAY IN PURSUIT OF FREEDOM. UNLIKE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THOSE LESS FORTUNATE MY FAMILY OF 10 WAS FORTUITOUS ENOUGH TO BE RESCUED BY GENERAL KERRY AND HIS MARINES ONTO THE DECK OF THE USS HANCOCK. WITH MY PARENTS EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICES COUPLED WITH AMERICA'S GENEROSITY AND NEAR ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES SHE PROVIDED ALL EIGHT OF US WENT TO COLLEGE. IN 1987 I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND COMMISSION AS AN INFANTRY OFFICER IN THE US ARMY. THIS TO ME WAS A SMALL WAY OF REPAYING MY FAMILY'S DEBT TO A GREAT NATION. 5:00 IN THE MORNING TO HEAR 180 BAYONETS CLICKING AND WE GOT TO GO ACROSS ABOUT 1,000 METERS OF OPEN RICE PATTIES TO GET TO THESE GUYS BEFORE WE CAN TAKE THEM ON UP CLOSE. AND THESE YOUNG AMERICANS ARE READY TO GO. NOT ONE KNOWING WHAT UP THERE WERE UP AGAINST AND SUBCONSCIOUSLY WE KNEW SOME OF THEM WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT BUT NOT ONE OF THOSE YOUNG AMERICANS HESITATED. JUST THINK ABOUT HOW COMMITTED THEY WERE. THEY WERE READY TO DO THEIR DUTY.
THANK YOU TO THE VETERANS FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FRISCO
FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO OUR VETERANS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.