SENATE RESOLUTION

                                                    1994-8661

By Senator Roach

         WHEREAS, Former Colonel Vo Dai Ton, aka Hoang Phong Linh (the Poet) is deserving of the highest praise and commendations for his valiant efforts to secure freedom for the Vietnamese people; and

         WHEREAS, Born in 1936 in central Vietnam, Vo Dai Ton made the commitment to serve the South Vietnamese Army Special Forces; and

         WHEREAS, Colonel Vo Dai Ton had an outstanding military career and received forty-three medals for his exceptional service; and

         WHEREAS, Although he was sent to a re-education camp following the fall of South Vietnam, Vo Dai Ton escaped in 1976 and went to Sydney, Australia; and

         WHEREAS, At great personal risk to himself, Vo Dai Ton returned to Vietnam in 1981 to assist in efforts to overthrow the communist regime; and

         WHEREAS, The Vietnamese government captured Vo Dai Ton one year later, arrested him, subjected him to ten years of solitary confinement, fed him only two bowls of soup a day and tortured him ninety-six times; and

         WHEREAS, On July 13, 1982, the Vietnamese government organized an international press conference and pressured Vo Dai Ton to read a statement prepared by Vietnamese authorities that he acted on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, but instead he declared his commitment to a free Vietnam; and

         WHEREAS, In December 1991, Vietnam succumbed to pressure from the free world and released Vo Dai Ton; and

         WHEREAS, Vo Dai Ton wrote many poems while in prison and, upon his release, published a renowned book of poetry entitled Despair Sounds of Birds Along the Champy Fall;

         NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate hereby honors Vo Dai Ton for his courage and devotion to the cause of securing freedom and expresses gratitude to him and his family for their sacrifices; and

         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate immediately transmit copies of this resolution to Vo Dai Ton.

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1994-8661,

adopted by the Senate January 20, 1994.

MARTY BROWN

Secretary of the Senate