A ceremony was held in Hanoi on July 11 to present the medal to Frank Joyce and his wife Mary Anne Barnet from Detroit, Michigan; Judy Gumbo Albert from Berkeley, California; Alex Hing from New York; Karin Aguilar-San Juan, a lecturer of Macalester College, Minnesota; and Douglas Hostetter from Virginia.
Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien, Vice Chairman of VUFO and President of the Vietnam-US Society, said the activists had devoted their youth to protesting the war in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. They participated in and mobilized many others to join demonstrations and activities to show solidarity with Vietnam and demand the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. After the end of the war, they continue to work for the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
The ambassador stressed that Vietnamese people always remember with gratitude US friends who stood side by side with Vietnam to struggle for the end of the war and for the return of peace in Vietnam.
Speaking on behalf of the activists, Frank Joyce said they will continue to work for the development of bilateral relations between the US and Vietnam.
