VUFO President Presented "Medal of Honor" by Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation

The relationship between VUFO and The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, according to their leaders, sees many cooperation opportunities in the future by taking advantage of the potentials of the good relationship between people of the two countries.
October 22, 2022 | 09:21

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), met with Robert Maras, former Board member of the "Vietnam Veterans of America Inc" (VVA), and Mr. Bill Kaemmer, Executive Director of The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (US) in Hanoi on Oct 21.

VUFO President Awarded "Medal of Honor" by The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (US)
From left to right: Robert Maras, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Bill Kaemmer (Photo: Thu Ha).

The host congratulated Robert Maras on his return visit to Vietnam and welcomed Bill Kaemmer on his first time in Vietnam. Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga said that the "Memorial of the Four Chaplains" was one of the first American organizations to come to Vietnam after the COVID-19 pandemic.

VUFO President Awarded "Medal of Honor" by The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (US)
Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga (right) and Mr. Robert Maras (Photo: Thu Ha).

According to Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, VUFO and its member organizations have much experience working with American non-government organizations such as The Veterans for Peace and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

She emphasizes that such organizations not only contribute to normalizing the Vietnam-US relationship but also foster cooperation towards sustainable development of Vietnam. Their contributions are varied in many fields such as investment, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchange, and cultural tourism.

VUFO President Awarded "Medal of Honor" by The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (US)
Bill Kaemmer, Executive Director of The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (US) at the meeting (Photo: Thu Ha).

The meeting also discussed the role of people-to-people exchange activities in strengthening Vietnam-US diplomatic relations. The sides agreed that the relationship between the two countries has entered a "chapter for peace" to become trusted partners, a promising sign towards the upcoming 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war.

Mr. Kaemmer thanked Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga for her warm welcome in his first visit to Vietnam. He hopes that future cooperation between VUFO and The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation can take advantage of the potential of a good relationship between the people of the two countries.

Also, he presented the Chapel of Four Chaplain coin to Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga. This "Metal of Honor" is to celebrate this first meeting with the Vietnamese diplomat and to thank her contribution to Vietnam-US people-to-people exchange activities. Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga expressed her honor to receive the Medal and believed that in the coming time, there will be many cooperation opportunities between VUFO and The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation.

The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation (Philadelphia, US) is established to honor the legacy of the Four Chaplains aboard the USAT Dorchester in 1943.

Its mission is to the story of the “Four Chaplains” to promote Interfaith Cooperation and Selfless Service in individuals and organizations, to encourage selfless service in the tradition of The Four Chaplains, and to teach and promote interfaith understanding and cooperation among all peoples. The motto of the Corporation is “Unity without Uniformity”.

The USAT Dorchester was hit by a German torpedo on Feb. 2, 1943. The four chaplains, George Fox, Alexander Goode, Clark Poling, and John Washington went down with their sinking ship and gave their life jackets to other passengers. Their selfless act led to more than 200 survivors.

News of the tragedy and the heroic conduct of the four chaplains caused a sensation in America. In 1961, they were posthumously awarded by Congress and US President Eisenhower with the Medal of Heroism

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