DIỄN TIẾN CỜ MÁU ĐƯỢC HẠ XUỐNG TẠI THÀNH PHỐ RICHARDSON

Richardson, TX.-  Ngày 12 tháng 09 năm 2025, buổi sáng chúng tôi nhận được Cô Lily Hà Hiệu trưởng Trường Bumblebee Little School và cũng chiều hôm đó lại nhận tin tương tự là có lá cờ máu xuất hiện tại Temporary City Hall Annex, địa chỉ 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd., Suite 550 Richardson, TX 75082. Cả hai anh chị đều chụp tấm hình lá cờ máu được trưng bày bên cạnh lá cờ Đài Loan như hình dưới đây.

Lá cờ máu được một người Việt nam không biết danh tánh đã mang đến City

Vẫn thường thói quen trước đây, chúng tôi liên lạc ngay với ông bà Nguyễn Văn Tường – Jennifer Nguyễn. Ngày 12 tháng 9 là ngày Thứ Sáu, ngày báo phát hành và tôi đã cố gắng liên lạc với ông bà Nguyễn Văn Tường và Jennifer Nguyễn nhưng không được và sau này tôi mới biết cả hai đều sức khỏe không tốt nên không tiếp xúc ngay cả liên lạc điện thoại…Tôi cũng nghĩ ngay đến hai Cộng đồng và hai Liên Hội có thể giải quyết vì là trách nhiệm của họ. Suy đi nghĩ lại với kinh nghiệm đã xảy ra, thời gian lá cờ máu sẽ tồn tại từ ngày này qua ngày khác. Không khéo lại tạo sự hiểu lầm “nhà báo nói láo ăn tiền”. Tôi quyết định liên lạc trực tiếp liên lạc với Tiến sĩ Trần Thành (nhà văn Trần Thu Miên) Arlington, Texas; người đã có kinh nghiệm chỉ bằng lời lẽ qua thư đã thay đổi được cuộc diện. Trước đây, một sự kiện tương tự lá cờ máu được bệnh viện Arlington treo lên nhưng sau đó anh Trần Thu Miên dùng lời chia sẻ của mình qua thư không họp tác với tổ chức, đoàn thể nào đã thay đổi quyết định ban lãnh đạo bệnh viện và lá cờ máu đã hạ xuống…

Sau đây là các lá thư qua lại của anh Trần Thu Miên và Manager thành phố Richardson: 

1.-Lá thư thứ nhất sau khi đã đến thành phố Richadson

 “Honorable Mayor Amir Omar and Members of the City Council,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Thanh V. Tran (pen name: Trần Thu Miên). I am a retired professor of Boston College and California State University, Los Angeles, a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, and now a resident of Arlington, Texas.

I recently learned that the Richardson City Council chamber displays the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. To be sure, a friend and I visited city hall on Monday, September 15, 2025. We were kindly received and allowed into the chamber, where we were very disappointed to see that flag standing among the others.

For Vietnamese Americans, that flag is not simply a national symbol—it is a painful reminder of war, loss, and the suffering that forced us to leave our homeland. During the Vietnam War, 58,220 American soldiers—including 3,415 Texans—gave their lives fighting against the very regime it represents. Many of the Vietnamese Americans who now live in Richardson arrived as refugees, having risked everything to escape that government. I myself fled Vietnam at the end of the war as a 19-year-old, leaving behind family and friends with no certainty of ever seeing them again. Families in our community lost loved ones in the war or in the dangerous journey to freedom. In my own family, two younger brothers and a nephew lost their lives in their attempts to escape. Even after 50 years, the pain of that flag has not faded for me or for many others.

Across the United States, many states and cities have officially recognized the former Republic of Vietnam flag—the yellow flag with three red stripes—as the cultural and historical emblem of the Vietnamese American community. This flag represents democracy, freedom, and dignity—the very values for which more than 200,000 South Vietnamese soldiers gave their lives.

On behalf of our community, I respectfully urge the City of Richardson to replace the current Communist Vietnam flag with the Republic of Vietnam flag. Our community would be honored to provide the city with one.

I am copying this message to the City Manager and several Vietnamese American community leaders so that we can work together toward this change.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response. May God bless you and all members of the City Council.

Sincerely,
Thanh V. Tran
(pen name: Trần Thu Miên)

Thư trả lời của City Manager

Mr. Tran

The flags displayed in the Council Chamber are part of an international wall of flags that honor the countries with corporate operations or headquarters in Richardson. These flags are placed alongside a resolution from the Texas Legislature designating Richardson as the “International Business Capital of North Texas.”

The display of Vietnam’s flag follows established criteria:

• The red flag with a yellow star is the current national flag of Vietnam and is internationally recognized as the country’s official flag.

• The yellow flag with three red stripes, which you referenced in your letter, was used during the period from 1948–1975 when Vietnam was divided between North and South. It is no longer the official flag of the nation.

• As a governmental body, the City is guided by protocol and international practice, which call for the display of the current and officially recognized national flag of any country. Vietnam is formally recognized by both the United States and the United Nations, and the U.S. maintains full diplomatic relations with Vietnam as a comprehensive partner.

Because of these requirements, the City of Richardson must continue to display the internationally recognized national flag of Vietnam.

At the same time, we want to acknowledge with deep respect that the yellow flag with three red stripes holds profound cultural and historical significance for many in the Vietnamese American community. We also recognize the painful history that is associated with the official national flag. While the City must adhere to international and diplomatic standards in its official displays, we remain sensitive to the perspectives of our community members and honor the importance of heritage and identity within Richardson’s diverse population.

Regards,

Don Magner

City Manager

Thư thứ hai của Trần Thu Miên 

Honorable Mayor Amir Omar and Members of the City Council,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Thanh V. Tran (pen name: Trần Thu Miên). I am a retired professor of Boston College and California State University, Los Angeles, a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, and now a resident of Arlington, Texas.

I recently learned that the Richardson City Council chamber displays the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. To be sure, a friend and I visited city hall on Monday, September 15, 2025. We were kindly received and allowed into the chamber, where we were very disappointed to see that flag standing among the others.

For Vietnamese Americans, that flag is not simply a national symbol—it is a painful reminder of war, loss, and the suffering that forced us to leave our homeland. During the Vietnam War, 58,220 American soldiers—including 3,415 Texans—gave their lives fighting against the very regime it represents. Many of the Vietnamese Americans who now live in Richardson arrived as refugees, having risked everything to escape that government. I myself fled Vietnam at the end of the war as a 19-year-old, leaving behind family and friends with no certainty of ever seeing them again. Families in our community lost loved ones in the war or in the dangerous journey to freedom. In my own family, two younger brothers and a nephew lost their lives in their attempts to escape. Even after 50 years, the pain of that flag has not faded for me or for many others.

Across the United States, many states and cities have officially recognized the former Republic of Vietnam flag—the yellow flag with three red stripes—as the cultural and historical emblem of the Vietnamese American community. This flag represents democracy, freedom, and dignity—the very values for which more than 200,000 South Vietnamese soldiers gave their lives.

On behalf of our community, I respectfully urge the City of Richardson to replace the current Communist Vietnam flag with the Republic of Vietnam flag. Our community would be honored to provide the city with one.

I am copying this message to the City Manager and several Vietnamese American community leaders so that we can work together toward this change.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response. May God bless you and all members of the City Council.

Sincerely,
Thanh V. Tran

Thư thứ hai của City Manager

“Mr. Tran

Thank you for sharing the additional information. We greatly value your feedback and the perspective you have provided. I will initiate an evaluation to determine an appropriate long-term resolution to this and pther similar issues at the earliest opportunity.

In the interim, and out of an abundance of caution and respect for sensitivities, the current flag will be removed from display.

Regards

Don Magner

City Manager City of Richardson

Thư cảm ơn và chia sẻ khi thành phố quyết định hạ lá cờ máu

A Grateful Note on the City’s Decision Regarding Flag Display

Dear Mr. Magner,

It is truly a great pleasure to receive this good news from you, and I am deeply grateful for your leadership in this matter. On behalf of myself and the Vietnamese American community in Richardson and across the DFW area, I wish to express our profound appreciation for the city’s decision regarding the display of the communist Vietnam flag. Our concern is not with Vietnam or its people, but with the communist regime that committed countless human rights violations against former South Vietnamese citizens—especially members of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces, government officials, and their families.

As someone who came to the United States as a young refugee, this decision carries deep personal meaning. For our community, the yellow flag with three red stripes continues to represent freedom, democracy, and sacrifice.

I will share the city’s decision with Vietnamese American communities throughout the DFW area, and I respectfully ask you to convey our gratitude to the Mayor, City Council members, and staff.

Sincerely,
Thanh V. Tran
Trần Thu Miên (pen name)
President, Institute of Vietnamese USA, Inc. (vietusa.org)

Theo ý kiên của Tiến sĩ Phan Quang Trọng Chủ tịch Hội Đồng Đại Diện Cộng Đồng Người Việt Quốc Gia Hoa Kỳ. Nếu tình trạng cờ máu còn xuất hiện bất cứ nơi nào tại địa phương Dallas-Fort Worth và vùng Phụ cận sẽ yêu cầu các dân cử Việt Nam như Tiến sĩ Trương Minh Ẩn Thị Trưởng thành phố Haltom City, hoặc Nghị viên Phạm Long thành phố Arlington có thể dễ dành và nhanh chóng hơn. Chúng tôi hy vọng ý kiến này của Tiến sĩ Phan Quang Trọng sẽ được Thị trưởng Trương Minh Ẩn và Nghị viên Phạm Long hoan hỷ…

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