I watched Ken Burn’s “The Vietnam War” on PBS every night when the series ran last September. Every night it brought back memory either through 1st account experience or live through it. My wife could not watch after episode 4th, it was just too painful for her to relive the experience. But my son a USMA graduates watched every episode for different perspective as a military, history, strategy, lesson learn and most importantly what his grandparents, parents suffered on the consequences of war. Of course, I’m writing as a Vietnamese refugee has been living in this country for over 42 years.
I supported “The Vietnam War” by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick financially for their excellent work. The conclusion was far from perfect, for me I wish he interview more of South Vietnamese military veteran and what they suffered in the hand of the communist victor. Historians have their own way of presenting history with their bias, I accept that fact.
Follow is the short snippet of what my family went through the Vietnam War. I never met my grandparents, so I started with my parents. During the WWII Japanese occupation of North Vietnam, my dad as a young man buried many Vietnamese people died of starvation, due to Japanese confiscated our farmland to grow war material. When came of age, he joined “Viet Minh” to fight against the French occupation. Once he realized “Viet Minh” were actually a front for communist. He quit in principal, since communist are atheist and against what he and his family stand for. He and his family was generation’s devout Catholic and land owner, by no mean an aristocrat. He was a small farmer, but they were ostracized by the local communist. He escaped his village with his young family left behind all their possessions, but his most heart wrenching were my grandparents from both side and his ancestral land.
He left North Vietnam when the country divided. He valued nothing more than a freedom of religion and be free. With nothing in their hands, my parents rebuilt their live from the ashes and become proper economically, but the war soon follows. Last week was the 50th year of “Tet Offensive” I for the first time as young boy so many war dead! The communist used my elementary school as a base to attack the South Vietnamese army base. During the night of Tet offensive, the communist setup their mortar in front of our house and shoot over to the South Vietnamese army base. After every round, the sand just kicks off and ran down our metal roof. Thank God the South Vietnamese army refrained from return fire, because in front of our house the communist has used thousands of civilian as their shield.
In the morning we left for the city, the second times my parents became a refugee in their own country. The war just too close for their comfort, but the war rage on with increased intensity. We were shelter from the “Summer of Fire” where communist made a concert attack everywhere. As I sat in the classroom and heard the bomb explosion in the long distance, from newspaper report we know where the battle being fought. I thought to myself a few more years I will be out there fighting. I born in this stupid war, fight in it and will die in it was my thought. Above us the American spay Agent Orange on us in the city with few trees, the communist mortar our city randomly. I just happened to go by the national cemetery and see line of open bed army trucks carry war dead from the front line to be buried. It was such a dark period and curse at war, what was the purpose! What a hell!
As the communist advanced south ward, my parents were planning to escape for the last time. We made our way to sea, all of my dad friends declined to join him for the exodus, due to the wealth they have accumulated and they could not see themselves abandon it. When South Vietnam collapsed, that night we were on a South Vietnamese naval ship heading somewhere, but one of naval ship was planning to head back to Vietnam, due to respect for some sailors want to unite with their family. As the ship about to partway, my dad throw down a suit case of South Vietnamese money to the sailors, he told them they will need this money more than him. Just a few hours ago, it took a lifetime to accumulate, he resolute someone else needs it more than him.
The third times both my parents start from nothing, they were factory owner to be a factory worker. They were grateful for this country and the freedom it provide. Nothing is too big or too small or beneath them, they work at anything to provide us a life. When we first arrived, I have to register for the draft. I mother was so distress and told me under no circumstances I join the military. She just got out of a hellish war most of her life, a son a Lt in South Vietnamese Army captured by the communist. She determined not to lose another son. It was mother instinct and love for her family, I understand.
My dad made great impact on his grandson on a life of service and the word freedom and what it meant, it was never free. There is price to pay for freedom. He has to leave his parents and ancestral land, all his world possession multiple times over for us to enjoy the freedom we have today. My son took it to heart! He wants to defend the freedom of this country. He wants to pay that ultimate price for his grandfather and his father!
