HONORING THE YELLOW FLAG
Throughout the course of our nation’s history, the Yellow Flag has always held a sacred and profound significance. In 40 AD, the Trung Sisters raised the Yellow Flag to launch an uprising against the Han dynasty, upholding an indomitable spirit of independence.
In 248 AD, Lady Trieu also raised the Yellow Flag high during her uprising against the Eastern Wu forces. Folk traditions describe her image entering battle: “Wearing golden armor, wooden clogs, a golden hairpin, riding a white elephant, and waving the yellow flag.”
Later on, the Yellow Flag with Three Red Stripes continued to be tied to our national tradition through the dynasties under Emperor Thanh Thai, Emperor Duy Tan, and Emperor Khai Dinh.
Notably, on June 2, 1948, former Emperor Bao Dai, along with representatives of political and religious organizations, officially recognized the Yellow Flag with Three Red Stripes as the National Flag of the State of Vietnam. From 1955 to 1975, the Yellow Flag continued to fly proudly as the National Flag of the Republic of Vietnam.
The three red stripes on the yellow background symbolize the three regions—North, Central, and South—representing the unity of a majestic land stretching from Nam Quan Pass to Cape Ca Mau. That flag encapsulates the sacred spirit of the mountains and rivers, patriotism, the longing for freedom, and the unyielding will of the nation. Under the shadow of the Yellow Flag, generations of young Vietnamese men and women sacrificed their youth and blood to protect freedom, defend the homeland, and safeguard this sacred symbol of our nation.
Furthermore, the image of the Yellow Flag is solemnly displayed on the insignia of the Vietnam Veterans of America, serving as proof of the enduring comradeship between American veterans and the soldiers of the Republic of Vietnam who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder for the ideal of freedom.
Currently, the Vietnamese Communist Party is actively implementing Decision 1334 to manipulate overseas communities, erode the standing of the Yellow Flag, and promote the image of the red flag.
However, for many Vietnamese refugees, the blood-red flag is a remnant of decades of political terror, concentration camps, property confiscation, exile, and the tragedy of the boat people. It is a symbol that recalls hundreds of thousands of farmers who perished in the so-called Land Reform, thousands buried alive during the 1968 Tet Offensive, and over half a million who lost their lives at sea and deep in the forests on their quest for freedom.
To them, it is a reminder of the most painful chapter in modern Vietnamese history. The communist blood flag is the symbol of a regime that betrayed the nation and stripped away freedom, democracy, and fundamental human rights.
For this reason, every freedom-loving Vietnamese person carries the responsibility to preserve and ensure that the Yellow Flag continues to fly in free nations—and one day soon, will fly once again over a fully sovereign Vietnamese homeland.
It is heartening that today, many states, counties, and cities across the United States have passed official resolutions recognizing the Yellow Flag as a symbol of freedom and democracy. We call upon government agencies and school districts to continue honoring this recognition, while avoiding the use of the communist blood flag—a symbol inextricably tied to the painful memories of our community.
True peace will only arrive when hundreds of thousands of Yellow Flags fly once again across Saigon, Hue, and Hanoi. Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the very presence of freedom, justice, human rights, and human dignity.
The Yellow Flag is the torch of hope for a future Vietnam: free, equal, and not under totalitarian rule.
Choose the flag of our nation, the flag of the Trung Sisters and Lady Trieu.
LONG LIVE VIETNAM!
Alliance for Vietnam’s Democracy
