Mayor Thomas Koch of Quincy

Mayor Thomas Koch of Quincy

Welcomes the Republic of Vietnam Alliance Delegation

Ha Uyen

Press and Information Office

At 4:30 P.M. Tuesday, September 22, 2026, representatives from the Republic of Vietnam Alliance visited Quincy City Hall to thank the city councilors and residents for supporting Vietnamese communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.

They sought to address the issue of a pro-communist Vietnamese singer coming to Quincy whose appearance might be disrupting the lives of many local Vietnamese refugees who would suffer depression and were afraid to leave their homes or approach the commercial area where the singer was scheduled to appear.

Having received information from the Alliance, Mayor Thomas Koch agreed to meet with Mr. Khang Nguyen (Vice President of the Vietnamese Community of Massachusetts) and the delegation at City Hall to hear residents' concerns.

It is worth noting that this singer had previously been driven out of Hartford, Connecticut—the state capital—by the public and the local community, forcing the event to be canceled and tickets to be refunded.

Subsequently, the group had surreptitiously arranged to use a Chinese-owned restaurant as a venue, selling tickets for as much as $3,000 per table.

Upon learning of the controversy, the owner of Ming Seafood Restaurant in Quincy terminated the contract and cancelled the performance. Subsequently, the overseas pro-communist faction—acting under orders from the Consulate—sought to organize an event and proceeded to spend money to rent venues:

They first booked the Tirrell Room, an American-owned venue, but administrative authorities intervened and canceled the booking.

A few days later, the group rented the Marriott Hotel—a renowned, upscale hotel in Quincy. Still, the city government intervened, declaring that Quincy would not tolerate Communism in any form. The event had to be cancelled. Three strikes and they were out!

To express their gratitude, a delegation visited the Quincy City Hall offices to thank the people of the city.

The delegation included:

*   Mister Nguyễn Nhơn Phúc (Representative for the Eastern US region), who led the group;

*   Mister Nguyễn Thắng (former Thu Duc Reserve Officer and pre-1975 prisoner of war), serving as assistant;

*   Pharmacist Hà Kim Phượng (Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School;

*   Mister Sơn Sary (former artillery officer);

*   Mister Lê Vinh (former Air Force officer);

*   Mister Đèo Văn Bạch (Special Forces; parachuted into North Vietnam in 1963 and held as a prisoner of war from that time);

*   Ms. Hạ Uyên (author of the poetry collection A Private Realm);

*   Mrs. Uyên Thúy Lâm (former teacher).

Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch met the delegation in his office at City Hall.

After initial handshakes and greetings, we were invited to sit at the oval table, where Mr. Nguyễn Thắng introduced each attendee, noting their positions and the length of time they had resided in the United States.

The Mayor listened attentively and spoke about the city of Quincy and the developments that had taken place since he took office in 2008. He shared that when he first took office in 2008, he understood the plight of refugees. At that time, the late Mister Hà Văn Tải—a former Thu Duc Reserve Officer Candidate and Director of SBTN-TV—along with Mr. Chính Nguyên (a founding member of the Thu Duc Reserve Officer Candidates Association), had raised the Republic of Vietnam flag at that very location. Furthermore, in May 2025, the Republic of Vietnam Alliance Delegation visited Quincy City Hall to present the Mayor with the Republic of Vietnam flag.

During the meeting, he spoke personally about his family: his father was a U.S. veteran of World War II; his older brother was to serve in the Vietnam War, but the conflict had ended before he could assume his post; and his son is a U.S. Marine. He views Communism as a common enemy of humanity, which allows him to empathize with the situation of the Vietnamese people. He concluded by stating that Communism would never be accepted in the city of Quincy—a place home to many U.S. veterans and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—as we cannot forget or betray their sacrifices.

Next, Misters Nguyễn Nhơn Phúc, Đèo Văn Bạch, Lê Vinh, Sơn Sarin, and Nguyễn Thắng presented the Mayor with a Vietnam-U.S. flag lapel pin as a token of gratitude for his support of the Vietnamese community, not only in Massachusetts but also across the United States.

Afterwards, Pharmacist Hà Kim Phượng, Misses Lâm Thuý Uyên, and Hạ Uyên presented the Mayor and his family with a special gift to express sincere thanks for the time he dedicated to meeting the delegation and for his support of the refugee community.

The meeting was friendly and highly successful; before departing, the delegation took a group photo with the Mayor. He courteously escorted the delegation to the elevator, even though City Hall closes at 4:30 PM.

Ha Uyen

Press and Information Office