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Showing posts with the label 2023 at 08:40PM

The US and Vietnam: How far we have come and the road ahead

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I clearly remember that time, as I was the youngest member of the Senate Armed Services Committee when we voted to end the United States war in Vietnam. That vote was not popular in my own state of Vermont. In fact, Vermont’s largest newspaper predicted that because of it I was finished as a politician and would serve only one term.  History turned out differently, and of the more than 17,000 votes I have cast during eight terms in the Senate, that vote in 1975 is one that I am proudest of.  As I have said at other times, we cannot change history, but we can choose a different future – for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren. Today, two former enemies can take pride in more than 33 years of reconciliation, normalization, and a comprehensive partnership. Next year is the 10th anniversary of that partnership, signed in 2013 by President Obama and President Truong Tan Sang, and what better way to commemorate this anniversary than by elevating our partnership to a st...

Legend Doan Dinh Long chairs Hanoi Karatedo Federation

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Karatedo legend Doan Dinh Long, born 1947, became president of Hanoi Karatedo Federation on April 9. Master Doan Dinh Long (second, right) becomes the President of the Hanoi Karatedo Federation. Photo: Hanoimoi Additionally, the federation convened its inaugural congress to review and approve prospective missions for the years 2023–2028. The Hanoi Karatedo Federation is a nonprofit, professional, and social organization that seeks to encourage people to train in karate in order to enhance their physical health and support the growth of both the sport and the country. At the congress, Master Doan Dinh Long expressed his hope that Hanoi’s Karatedo would advance further and that local athletes would perform better in both domestic and international events. Master Doan Dinh Long, 76, is considered the forerunner of Vietnamese karate and one of the first people to promote Vietnam as one of the largest karate communities in the world. Long was a coach of the Vietnam natio...