The Freedom Flight Task Force started as a conglomerate of churches and social service groups dedicated to the resettling of the Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. The group originated from and was led by Rev. Dr. Howard Schipper, who fulfilled a personal call to “find a need and fill it.” After seeing the need of the thousands of refugees spread across the media, Schipper decided to look no further. He and the Freedom Flight Task force spearheaded the relocation of some 578 refugees to the West Michigan area by Dec. 6, 1975, just 8 months after the idea’s conception.

Under the name MICRO—Michigan Indo Chinese Resettlement Office—the Vietnamese refugee resettlement process continued until another mass exodus from Vietnam in 1979. These refugees attempting to find a new home were labeled “The Boat People” and drew massive media attention. As a result, the Michigan state government, MICRO, and other agencies with a desire to help formed MCIRR—the Michigan Committee for Indochinese Refugee Resettlement—on July 13, 1979. MCIRR focused on the health, housing, education, and the need for federal legislation.

This group continued to work for the resettlement of Vietnamese in the state of Michigan, but refugees of other origins began to emerge and the group reflected its part in helping all refugees by adopting the name MCRR—the Michigan Committee for Refugee Resettlement.

The Grand Rapids office of the MCRR led by Rev. Dr. Schipper was called the Freedom Flight Center, retaining the name that launched the Vietnamese refugee resettlement campaign in the state of Michigan. The center continued to operate well into the 1990’s.

Arrangement: Consists of items donated by Rev. Dr. Howard Schipper. Included is documentation from MICRO, MCIRR and MCRR in manuscript form. Also included are books, videos, magazines and audio tapes.