Resident To Present Award For President

Local resident Lana Noone, Author, "Global Mom: Notes From a Pioneer Adoptive Family", Recipient, New York State Humanitarian Commendation, 2006. and Recipient, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's Humanitarian Award, 2005, will present a Posthumous Vietnam "Operation Babylift" Award to President Gerald R. Ford on February 17, 2007, at the New Jersey Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey.

It will be accepted on behalf of the President Ford Library and Museum by the Vietnam Babylift's Heather Constance Noone Memorial Award Commitee, and will become part of the Library and Museum's Permanent Collection by agreement with the Ford Library's Supervisory Archivist.

A letter of acceptance from the Library will be read during the Ceremony.

This marks the first official recognition of President Ford for his implementation of "Operation Babylift", Vietnam on April 3, 1975.

The humanitarian effort evacuated over 2,500 Vietnamese War orphans to the United States, Canada, and seveeral European countries and ushered in the wave of international adoptions prevalent in the US today.

The program includes a screening of the Award-winning film "Operation Babylift-Homeward Bound" with discussion to follow.

A Babylift Art and Artifacts Exhibit and Vietnamese music performance will complete the program.

Please contact 486-0318 for complete details.