12th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EVENT

  --Dr. Grant McClure--

I'm here today representing Counterparts, the original sponsor of this event where we dedicated this living memorial. Counterparts is a veteran's association comprised of former advisors that served in the various theaters of operation in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. One of the primary purposes of Counterparts is to commemorate the service and sacrifice of our comrades-in-arms. But given _ the manner in which the Vietnam War ended, we were left in a quandary ... how could be give back to a people who lost everything? What can we say to soldiers abandoned on the battlefield keeping the faith when others did not?

Importantly, one thing that can and must be done is keep the story of the Hmong alive, which speaks greatly to what Dr. Jane Hamilton-Merritt has achieved with the publication of Tragic Mountains ... unto itself a testament to the service and sacrifice of the Hmong, a chronicle of decisions made here in Washington, D.C. that drew the Hmong into a wartime alliance with the U.S. (decisions that have led us to Arlington National Cemetery where we stand today to reflect and pay homage). And, Tragic Mountains is an epitaph of the plight of a people, that continues on to this day. Indeed, Dr. Jane's contribution is highly valued for it keeps the story of the Hmong and the advisors alive, and serves as a "living memorial" just as significant as the one we dedicated here in May 1997 and continue to give tribute to each year. Both represent a tribute to proud human endeavor ... of courage and valor in a long war lost in the hopes for Southeast Asia.