About - Tri Ân Foundation

Purpose

The overriding purpose of this proposed monument is to honor and express deep gratitude for the millions of Americans and Vietnamese who fought side-by-side to stop communist aggression and give the South Vietnamese people their freedom.

To give meaning to this difficult struggle, it is important for many of the Vietnamese people who fled their country and escaped communist persecution, to show their appreciation to those that helped them during and after the war. They thought it important to recognize the combined contributions of the American, South Vietnamese and other participating Coalition military personnel; and to celebrate the bond that developed between the soldiers from these different countries as they faced a common enemy.

It is important to recognize the numerous humanitarian efforts and good deeds done by the U.S. military and the many Americans who went far beyond the call of duty to help the South Vietnamese people.

It is important to remember thousands of Americans who are still unaccounted-for after all these years.

It is important to remember hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who died or suffered terribly in the concentration camps set up by the Communist regime.

The Tri-Ân Foundation was founded in the hope that the many inspiring stories of these American and South Vietnamese heroes would be better known to everyone of this and future generations.

Vision

The Tri Ân monument will bring to life the struggles as well as the triumphs of the Vietnam War, and recognize the sacrifices made by the South Vietnamese people and the U.S. Military as they fought side by side against the Communist aggression.

History is not only brought to life at the Tri Ân Monument, it is humanized through personal accounts and tales of valor. The monument has two major components—a physical monument and a digital site—designed to work together and support each other.

vision

The monument’s mobile platform will enhance the experience of the visitors to the monument and to aid in the storytelling of those who fought or were affected by the war. Visitors will be able to connect using a smartphone app as an audio guide to the monument, marrying tradition and technology seamlessly to create a truly immersive experience.

Veterans will be able to connect with comrades, long-lost friends, and even those individuals whose lives they saved by searching the database. Navy sailors can learn the fate of the refugees they picked up at sea decades ago, allowing them a special insight to their efforts unlike ever before. Through shared stories, family members of fallen soldiers will have the ability to learn more stories about their loved one, and the circumstances surrounding his or her death.

Schoolchildren are encouraged to visit the monument to learn more about the history of the Vietnam War. The wartime stories that highlight the brotherhood between the Americans and Vietnamese people will help them gain a better insight to this historic time far more than textbooks can deliver.

Through the Tri Ân Monument, the stories and history so pivotal to the world, will live on for generations to come.