About 300 people attended an appreciation dinner hosted by the Vietnamese community’s 1975 Memorial Project at the Saigon Seafood Restaurant in Fields Corner last Saturday evening. The event, which included performances and a speaking program, sought to mobilize support for a permanent memorial installation dedicated to the Vietnamese diaspora at the committee’s preferred location – inside Town Field off Dorchester Avenue at Park Street.

The ambitious effort, expected to cost as much as $1 million, is led by artist and community organizer Ngoc-Tran Vu. The purpose of the effort is to create a “sanctuary space” to remember the Vietnamese who died in the war, and to acknowledge those who arrived here because of the war and are still healing from those wounds.

The city’s Parks Department has pushed back on siting a permanent memorial inside the park, prompting the 1975 project members to launch a petition drive in support of their proposal.

“Decision-makers are not going to take it lightly when they see widespread support,” said Theresa Tran, a member of the 1975 project team. “The petition is a demonstration of our collaboration, our voice, and advocacy for meaningful change. The petition will show city and state policy makers that we are serious about making the 1975 Memorial Project a priority and we have the backing of a strong community.”

Ngoc-Tran Vu, another team member, said the hope is that attention for the project will lead City Hall officials to reconsider their reluctance to use a corner of the city park for the memorial.

“When we deliver a petition with thousands of signatures, it’s a powerful tool of advocacy,” she said. “It’s not just one person…It is important we get as many people as possible to sign this petition who live in the heart of the Vietnamese community in Dorchester and then in the following months, we’ll get support in the surrounding neighborhoods as well.”

The appreciation dinner also served as a look-back at the previous year’s activities, including the refinement of the memorial design, a preliminary version of which was unveiled last fall. The committee is also planning a somber 50th year commemoration on April 26 to mark the anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The team hopes it will also create a temporary installation on Town Field this summer.

Popular vocalist Ngọc Diễm performed several numbers Saturday night in Vietnamese to liven up the crowds during dinner. Seth Daniel photos

Exciting the crowd via the microphone was singer Trieu Vu, who brought the energy up in the room.

Annie Le, director of Boston Little Saigon Cultural District, said that “it is important to talk to our neighbors about why this is important and why it’s important to us,” she said. “We need to take the message outside of our community, the Vietnamese community. It’s important we’re seen in the community and in the history books, and not just in our own personal memories.”

Other partners that spoke up in support of the memorial project included Hiep Chu, treasurer of the Fields Corner Civic Association, and Khang Nguyen, director of the Vietnamese American Community of Massachusetts; Fields Corner Main Streets; UMass Boston Asian American studies program; Asian American Resource Workshop; Fields Corner Branch Library’; VietAid; and ADSL.

The 1975 Memorial Project team includes Vu, Tran, Linh-Phuong Vu, Kathy Le, Debbie Nguyenm, Tommy Nguyen, and Loi Huynh.

Ready to advocate for the 1975 Memorial Project are Jenny Nguyen, Thanh Nguyen, Hoang Nguyen, Elizabeth Nguyen, and Harry Dao.

Project Cultural Advisors include Hung Vu, Ban Dinh, Khang Nguyen, and Khanh Bui.

A contingent of city representatives attended the gathering on Saturday, including Mid-Dorchester liaison Anthony Nguyen, Vietnamese liaison Kevin Tran, Bianca Rose, Cultural Affairs Director Alexandra Valdez, Jean Julien, and Planning Department members Taylor Mayes and Ben Zenkeler.

Community members Vu Tran, Anny Thach, Sam Lê Shave, and Kim Phan are in full support of the 1975 Memorial team.

The Circle of Vietnamese Parents had a large contingent at the dinner.