A family walks down the pathway toward the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriots Point, surrounded by American flags and calm waters.
A family walks down the pathway toward the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriots Point, surrounded by American flags and calm waters.
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Overflow crowd attends symposium on The Montagnards as warriors in Vietnam

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More than 400 people came to a symposium at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum called: “The Montagnards – The Green Berets’ Secret Vietnam Warriors.”  The Smokey Stover Theater was filled to capacity and more than 100 additional guests watched the event live from a screen set up in Hangar Bay III.

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The Panel included two former Green Berets – George Clark, a veteran of the 5th Special Forces Group Airborne in Vietnam from 1967-1970; and Mike Mika – veteran of the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam (1968-1970) and two representatives of the Montagnards – K’Sao Krajan (Bronze star recipient and veteran of 5th special forces group in Vietnam – 1967-1970) and Ha Srin (an 18-year veteran of the Montagnard Army and Special Forces Group in Vietnam).

The two groups discussed the history of their relationship and how more than 61,000 Montagnards fought alongside the U.S. Special Forces in the Vietnam War.  The Montagnards, mountain people from the Central Highlands of Vietnam, were fiercely loyal to the Americans and were incredibly strong fighters.  For that reason, many of the Green Berets have felt a special allegiance to the Montagnards and have worked tirelessly to rescue them from persecution in Vietnam.

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Veteran George Clark talks about his deep appreciation of the Montagnards[/caption]

As panelist George Clark summarized: “I don’t know any special forces man who served in Vietnam who does not owe his life to the Montagnards.  I know I do.”

During the program, a niece of Ha Srin shared a story of the persecution and extermination of the Montagnard people in Vietnam because of their Christian beliefs.  In 1975, there were at least 8 million Montagnards in Vietnam.  Today, their population is closer to 500,000.  Because of their strong loyalty and allegiance to the Green Berets and special forces of the United States, veterans of these groups work very hard to raise awareness of their plight and seek relief through the government and other sources.

The Montagnards who came to the symposium, like many others who fled Vietnam and sought refugee status in the U.S. currently live in North Carolina.  To learn more about the mission to save the Montagard people, visit their website at montagnards.org.

For more photos of the event, check out the gallery below:

[gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="6695,6696,6697,6698,6699,6700,6701,6703,6702,6704,6689,6690,6691,6692,6694"]