STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX –  Speaking at Prescott National Cemetery on Memorial Day, State Representative Quang Nguyen delivered a moving speech shaped by his firsthand experience as a refugee from Vietnam. Representative Nguyen recalled the sacrifices of American troops during the Vietnam War and expressed deep gratitude to the families of the fallen, emphasizing that their service gave him the chance to live free and become an American.

It is always an honor to be present here at the Prescott National Cemetery on Memorial Day. I was here last year to hear the wise words from Major General Mick McGuire, and I hope to be just half as inspirational as he was.

There is somewhat of a different perspective on Memorial Day once you have been in a war and understand the true meaning of the “ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.” Today, I offer you my unique perspective of what this day personally means to me.

You see, we recently commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. I was too young to be in the service, but I lived through three communist invasions, including the final one on April 30, 1975. So, when I say I’ve seen American service members walking through the rice fields, I actually saw that with my own eyes. When I say I understand the sacrifice of young men and women who travel 10,000 miles to fight for my freedom, I actually do know and do understand. More than 58,000 of your sons and daughters gave it all so I can stand here in front of you today.

No books, no teachers, no professors will be able to explain the meaning of Memorial Day to me. I know from personal experience. Not a single day in my life goes by that I don’t think about how lucky I am to be an American.

My dad spent 39 years of his life fighting in three different wars. My brother fought alongside many of you who are here today, from 1968 to 1975, as an Airborne soldier. During my childhood, I learned that two of my first cousins died as Rangers in Cambodia. One was executed after the Fall of Saigon in a concentration camp. Those are also my personal experiences.

For years, I couldn’t visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. I felt responsible for getting those names etched on those walls. I did not want to interfere with the mourning process by showing up. There is so much guilt in my soul. In 2016, my wife, daughter, and I flew to D.C. to drop off my daughter Sarah at a summer program in Annapolis. Having little else to do in the area, my wife and I decided to visit the monuments, and I mentally avoided the Wall. My wife then said to me, “We need to spend time paying respect to Vietnam Veterans,” to which I replied, “I don’t think I am wanted there.”

She literally dragged me from the Lincoln Memorial to the Vietnam Wall. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, and for some unknown reason, not a soul was there except for a wreath left for a soldier with a gold banner: “West Point Class of ‘64.” I touched as many names as I possibly could, and by the time I got to the very end, I was emotionally drained and felt grateful—grateful to know that so many died for me, and grateful to be adopted by the most generous nation in the world.

To the Gold Star families, you bear the heavy burden of loss. You show us your strength and resilience, and that is a profound testament to the love and pride you hold for your loved ones. I will never be in the position of telling you that I understand your loss. Thank you, Gold Star families, for your ultimate sacrifice. To you and your service members, this nation owes a debt of gratitude.

Here’s what we all need to recognize… Our fallen heroes know sacrifice through giving. The rest of us know sacrifice through receiving.

Let us honor our fallen heroes not only with words, but by how we live—by serving others, standing up for what is right, and ensuring their legacy endures through our actions. May we never forget: freedom is not free. It is paid for by the brave, and today, we remember them all.

God bless the United States of America and her heroes.

Quang Nguyen is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 1 in Yavapai County and is Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Follow him on X at @QuangNguyenAZ.