June 19 is the Armed Forces Day of the former Republic of Vietnam.

In more than 20 years, the RVNAF were fighting under difficult situations. Military servicemen were paid low salaries, while they were fighting against the enemy who abided by no international convention concerning war. Their enemy used terrorism as the principal weapon along with wily propaganda schemes. Meanwhile the South Vietnamese soldiers had to act conformingly to laws and rules.

Until April 30, 1975, the RVNAF had suffered about 230,000 KIA's, over 300,000 WIA's - among them about 150,000 were disabled including nearly 4,000 who were 100 per cent disabled. Only the MIA figures were low - a few thousands - thanks to great efforts to bring back most of the dead to bury them in their home towns or in military cemeteries.

The heavy losses they suffered proved that they had been fighting hard for their country, not running like rabbits as described in many slanderous reports. They fell before their enemy on the battlefields as any other brave warrior. A small number of their corrupt officers do not mean they all were cowards.

A least, the RVN Armed Forces were well organized, with efficient institutions, and with a strong sense of honor, with right cause and lofty ideals. The RVNAF might have not been the best, but at least better than most of the contemporary armed forces of the pro-American nations in the Third World.

We are grateful to the RVNAF and also to the Allied soldiers who had been fighting to safeguard our freedom in South Vietnam for 20 years until April 30, 1975.

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