Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program:Operation Baby Lift

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program

To Present Recognition of the Vietnam War's

Historic Orphan Rescue, Operation Babylift

The Smithsonian?s Asian Pacific American Program will present "Operation
Babylift: Saving Children from the Vietnam War," a panel and book signing
commemorating the extraordinary humanitarian effort that provided for the
evacuation of over 2,500 Vietnamese orphans during the final weeks of the
Vietnam War.

This Event, open to the public free of charge on a first come,
first serve basis, will take place Monday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the
Ring Auditorium of the Smithsonian's Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Franklin Odo will provide opening remarks and Ban Tran
will moderate the panel.

Featured panelists include:

Lana Mae Noone, OBL activist, adoptive mother, and
author of Global Mom: Notes from a Pioneer Adoptive Family;

Jennifer Nguyen Noone, the final OBL baby adopted by a waiting family;

Ross Meador, the then Field Director of Friends of Children of Vietnam (FCVN) and who placed the first 57 orphans on board the initiating evacuation flight;
LeAnn Thieman, adoptive mother, speaker and author of This Must Be My Brother;

Philip R. Wise, a retired U.S. Air Force Sergeant who survived the
tragic crash of the official, inaugural OBL airlift flight.

A temporary art
and artifacts exhibit will be on display, including the Vietnam Babylift
Quilt created from remnants of clothing worn by the orphans, photos, and
the speaker's personal artifacts.

The Smithsonian's Hirshorn and Sculpture Garden is located at Independence Avenue at
Seventh Street SW; the nearest Metrorail stops are Smithsonian and L?Enfant
Plaza.

For more information, please visit:

www.apa.si.edu


And please scroll down to the Program Event.

Email contact: Lana@Vietnambabylift.org