Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations chaired the memorial. Present at the event were Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, former President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations; Tran Dac Loi, former Permanent Deputy Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Commission for External Relations, Vice President of the Vietnam Peace Committee, Vice President of the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation; Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States, President of the Vietnam - USA Society; Representatives of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Commission for External Relations, Office of State President, Office of Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Vietnam Women's Union, Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. Many Vietnamese agencies and organizations, foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam, and American and Vietnamese friends attended in person.

In the USA, Professor Ngo Thanh Nhan, Merle Ratner's husband, and American relatives and friends of Merle Ratner and her family attended via nearly 40 online meeting points.

President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son delivered a speech at the Memorial Service. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

In a solemn and touching atmosphere, Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, sent condolences of Vietnamese friends to Merle Ratner - a peace activist and war protester, who fought for civil rights and progress; a great and faithful friend of the Vietnamese people; a close comrade and partner of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and many Vietnamese agencies and organizations.

Recounted Merle Ratner's activism since the age of 13, including participating in peace movements, vigorously protesting against the US war in Vietnam, and supporting the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam; standing side by side with peace-loving Americans to raise slogans demanding an end to the war, knocking on every door to explain to Americans the blunders of the American war and the Vietnamese people's right to independence, Phan Anh Son stressed that "The image of a 16-year-old girl raising the flag of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam at the Statue of Liberty in New York to protest the American war in Vietnam and singing the song "Liberation of the South" with peace-loving Americans every time they take to the streets to fight for a peaceful and unified Vietnam will remain unforgettable in the hearts of many generations of Vietnamese people, a symbol of international solidarity, standing side by side with the Vietnamese people in the movement to protest the American war in Vietnam."

Moment of silence to farewell Merle Ratner. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

When the war ended, Merle Ratner continued to support the Vietnamese people to rebuild the country. She and her like-minded friends fought against the US embargo on Vietnam, demanding the US to respect the Paris Peace Accord. From 1976 to 1979, she and her husband, Professor Ngo Thanh Nhan, promoted the establishment of the "Patriotic Overseas Vietnamese Association in the US" to call on the US Government to normalize relations and lift the embargo on Vietnam.

In her role as co-founder of the "Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign - VAORRC", she has accompanied and helped the Vietnamese people heal the wounds of war, striving to mobilize organizations and individuals to support and seek justice for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, pressing the US Government and chemical companies responsible for cleaning up the environment in hot spots; compensate, provide health services, education, and create jobs for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.

Merle Ratner has a strong belief in the ideals of Communism and Socialism, affirming that the Communist Party of Vietnam has been steadfast on the path to socialism; fighting for the values of socialism around the world and Vietnam will certainly succeed on its chosen path.

Merle Ratner and her husband, Professor Ngo Thanh Nhan, have devoted all their love to Vietnam. Their house is a familiar address for Vietnamese people living and working in the US. Ratner and her husband have supported many activities of high-level Vietnamese delegations to the US and coordinated to organize delegations of American friends to visit Vietnam.

President Phan Anh Son and Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga wrote in the funeral book to say goodbye to Merle Ratner. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

For the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, Merle is a loyal, sincere, and straightforward friend and comrade. She is always willing to support the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and its member organizations in organizing peace, solidarity, and friendship activities with left-wing friends and the communist party in the US. She also enthusiastically participated in many activities organized by member organizations such as the Vietnam - USA Society, the Vietnam Peace Committee, and the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation.

“Merle Ratner lived a beautiful and meaningful life. The feelings and legacy she left behind regarding the relationship and solidarity of the Vietnamese and American people will be a fire that continues to burn brightly in the belief in friendship, mutual understanding and respect, for peace, cooperation, and development between the two countries and the people of Vietnam and the United States in the present and the future," said Phan Anh Son.

In her remark at the Memorial Service, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga said that Merle Ratner is a special friend and comrade of Vietnam. She has made many great contributions to Vietnam-US relations and tirelessly worked for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. She devoted her whole life to fight for peace, justice, freedom, and development in the world; happiness for the people; for rights and a better life for the poor.

Ngo Thanh Nhan, Merle Ratner's husband, delivered a speech from a bridgepoint in the USA during the memorial service. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

From New York, Ngo Thanh Nhan, Merle Ratner's husband, thanked the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations for organizing the Memorial Service. He said: “Merle wants me to continue to develop the Vietnam-US people relationship. Merle said that when doing people-to-people diplomacy, we must pay attention to young people and call for them to participate in cooperation and solidarity activities. I will continue to develop left-wing people-to-people relations among races in America, with black comrades, all people of color in the world, and especially with the Vietnamese people."

At the Memorial Service, American and Vietnamese friends sent their deep condolences to Ngo Thanh Nhan and his family on social networks and wrote in the funeral book to say goodbye to Merle Ratner.

On this occasion, the Presidium of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations decided to posthumously award the "Medal for Peace and Friendship among Nations", the highest distinction of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations to Merle Ratner for her valuable contributions and support for Vietnam in the cause of national unification; overcome the consequences of war and promote people-to-people relations between Vietnam and the United States.

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