Hello,
My name is Emily Ng, and I'm currently a high school student in the US studying vietnamese refugees this summer. I'm compiling interviews from various Vietnamese refugees all over the world, and I would thoroughly appreciate it if you would do me the kind favor of putting up a quick blog post about my compilations this summer. The process is more thoroughly explained on my blog here: http://thechaotomjournal.wordpress.com/tell-me-your-story/. I know this is a hasty request, but I would really love to hear from the audience that loyally reads your blog. Thank you in the meantime!
From,
Emily
Victoria's PenPal
I had planned to do my review of the riotous and heartwarming “Regrets Only” at the Circle Bar B on Friday, along with another SB blog to pitch to lifestyle publications, with some 40 pictures, but after seeing the YouTube story of my new pen pal through Cup of Joe for a Joe, I’m not in a “lifestyle” sort of mood...
...The 8 minute YouTube clip is beautifully done, apart from the moving and inspirational content it presents, because Major Dalat (U.S. Army) was a professional photographer in Orange County before he entered the service as my father always calls the military. The music and narration is perfect as he recounts the story of his family, Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon. The family is thriving, not just in America but Switzerland and Korea, and his sister survived the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. She was on the 22nd floor as you can see in the clip.
Read the rest of the story at Victorian Chick
...The 8 minute YouTube clip is beautifully done, apart from the moving and inspirational content it presents, because Major Dalat (U.S. Army) was a professional photographer in Orange County before he entered the service as my father always calls the military. The music and narration is perfect as he recounts the story of his family, Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon. The family is thriving, not just in America but Switzerland and Korea, and his sister survived the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. She was on the 22nd floor as you can see in the clip.
Read the rest of the story at Victorian Chick
The Lucky Few Event
by Major Lan T. Dalat
It is not too often that an Army soldier and the former Top Gun commander of the Navy share a common bond in history. But in an event in Garden Grove, Calif., I finally got to thank the Naval officers and crew members who saved my life 31 years ago on the other side of the world.
On April 21, 2012 Vice Adm. (Retired) Adam M. Robinson, Jr. addressed a crowd of nearly 2,000 people inside Crystal Cathedral at the beginning of a ceremony that highlighted the achievements of the "Lucky Few" during Operation Frequent Wind.
Robinson brought to light the efforts of U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Kirk, a destroyer with a mission to escort air craft carrier. It took on a new role April 30, 1975, when the USS Kirk and its crew took on the mission to rescue more than 30,000 Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea.
Along with Robinson were other former commanding officers of the USS Kirk and the USS Ranger, who shared stories of their efforts in rescuing refugees. Retired Navy Capt. Dan A. Pedersen, who commanded the USS Ranger CV-61 "Top Gun," spoke about rescuing these starved and dehydrated people floating in a barely seaworthy 35-foot wooden boat.
During his speech, he asked a woman in the audience to stand up for recognition. That woman was my mother, Cam Quy, who took extreme risk when she put all of her four children into that wooden boat, seeking freedom outside of the communist Vietnam.
Captain (Ret.) Pedersen told the story of my mother. "Cam Quy went on raised four wonderful children and turned them into active contributing members of the United States. They all graduated from college and now one of them is serving in the military."
Pedersen then called for me to stand up in the audience. As I stood there, I thought about how a decision that was made some 31 years ago on the South China Sea had made such a profound impact in my life today.
When I was a young boy growing up in Orange County, I forgot about my status as a refugee. I was busy training with the cross country team to earn a varsity letter and working after school to help my struggling mother with the bills.
One day, I went to a surplus store to look for cheap camping equipment, I discovered a navy blue baseball cap with the bold print USS Ranger CV-61 along with a silhouette of the ship. Immediately, I was fascinated by that discovery and began my effort to find members of this ship to thank them for saving my life. (My search was short, since the ship was decommissioned.)
Then, I thought to myself, "What would I say when I actually find the member of that ship?"
That brainstorming session led me to a decision of joining the military after my high school graduation. I enlisted in the Army Reserve.
As a reservist, I had to find a full-time job to support myself and to help my family. I attended a junior college at night and worked full time during the day. I did this for several years until I was "let go" from my civilian job for deploying with the Army Reserve on a long training mission in Korea. Returning home without a job, I decided to focus on my education and applied for the Army ROTC program at California State University, Fullerton.
With the support of my cousin, Becky Nguyen, I attended the university full time. I was desperate to find someone from the USS Ranger to thank. Fortunately for me, the Internet allowed me to expand my search worldwide. Within weeks of moving my quest online, the U.S. Navy responded.
Prior to my graduation from college, I was reunited with Pedersen, who commanded the ship that rescued my family. My effort paid off. I had the opportunity to thank the skipper in person for saving my life and the lives of so many boat people on that hot day of March 20, 1981 from the deadly South China Sea.
In 1997, I graduated with a bachelor degree and earned a active duty commission in the US Army.
Today, we met again in a place where thousands of Vietnamese Americans (who had once been refugees, "the boat people") had come to share their success stories and thanking the Navy and the United States of America for the freedom and the opportunity to live the American Dream.
 |
| US Army Major Lan T. Dalat (right) talks with US Navy Captain (Ret.) Pedersen and his wife Beth after the event in Garden Grove, California. |
Robinson brought to light the efforts of U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Kirk, a destroyer with a mission to escort air craft carrier. It took on a new role April 30, 1975, when the USS Kirk and its crew took on the mission to rescue more than 30,000 Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea.
Along with Robinson were other former commanding officers of the USS Kirk and the USS Ranger, who shared stories of their efforts in rescuing refugees. Retired Navy Capt. Dan A. Pedersen, who commanded the USS Ranger CV-61 "Top Gun," spoke about rescuing these starved and dehydrated people floating in a barely seaworthy 35-foot wooden boat.
During his speech, he asked a woman in the audience to stand up for recognition. That woman was my mother, Cam Quy, who took extreme risk when she put all of her four children into that wooden boat, seeking freedom outside of the communist Vietnam.
Captain (Ret.) Pedersen told the story of my mother. "Cam Quy went on raised four wonderful children and turned them into active contributing members of the United States. They all graduated from college and now one of them is serving in the military."
Pedersen then called for me to stand up in the audience. As I stood there, I thought about how a decision that was made some 31 years ago on the South China Sea had made such a profound impact in my life today.
When I was a young boy growing up in Orange County, I forgot about my status as a refugee. I was busy training with the cross country team to earn a varsity letter and working after school to help my struggling mother with the bills.
One day, I went to a surplus store to look for cheap camping equipment, I discovered a navy blue baseball cap with the bold print USS Ranger CV-61 along with a silhouette of the ship. Immediately, I was fascinated by that discovery and began my effort to find members of this ship to thank them for saving my life. (My search was short, since the ship was decommissioned.)
Then, I thought to myself, "What would I say when I actually find the member of that ship?"
That brainstorming session led me to a decision of joining the military after my high school graduation. I enlisted in the Army Reserve.
As a reservist, I had to find a full-time job to support myself and to help my family. I attended a junior college at night and worked full time during the day. I did this for several years until I was "let go" from my civilian job for deploying with the Army Reserve on a long training mission in Korea. Returning home without a job, I decided to focus on my education and applied for the Army ROTC program at California State University, Fullerton.
With the support of my cousin, Becky Nguyen, I attended the university full time. I was desperate to find someone from the USS Ranger to thank. Fortunately for me, the Internet allowed me to expand my search worldwide. Within weeks of moving my quest online, the U.S. Navy responded.
Prior to my graduation from college, I was reunited with Pedersen, who commanded the ship that rescued my family. My effort paid off. I had the opportunity to thank the skipper in person for saving my life and the lives of so many boat people on that hot day of March 20, 1981 from the deadly South China Sea.
In 1997, I graduated with a bachelor degree and earned a active duty commission in the US Army.
Today, we met again in a place where thousands of Vietnamese Americans (who had once been refugees, "the boat people") had come to share their success stories and thanking the Navy and the United States of America for the freedom and the opportunity to live the American Dream.
 |
| Army Major Dalat and his mother attending the event in Garden Grove, California on 21 April 2012 |
Former Refugee to Serve as Guest Speaker
Recently, a former refugee who immigrated to the United States after being rescued by the US Navy is invited to serve as a guest speaker for the National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
See the invitation below.
"Dear MAJ Dalat, Lan.
We would like to invite you as our guest speaker in celebrating the National
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The national theme for 2012,
"Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion", the
program is called, "The Lucky Few Reunion" event. Purposes of this event
are:
Honor the heroes of the US Navy veterans, who had served in one of 50 US
Navy ships under Operation Frequent Wind, saved two hundred thousands
(200,000) of Vietnamese-American refugees in 1975.
Reunite more Vietnamese-Americans with the US Navy Veterans who helped them
on their journey to the United State, 37 years ago, in 1975.
Untold stories and witnesses of the Lucky Few
This is also the history of courage and of the human spirit, of the survival
tenacity of the Vietnamese people, of exceptional display of human kindness,
which of profiles are remarkable humanitarian effort of the United States
Navy.
The Observance schedule will be at 1930, on Saturday, April 21, 2012..."
See the invitation below.
"Dear MAJ Dalat, Lan.
We would like to invite you as our guest speaker in celebrating the National
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The national theme for 2012,
"Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion", the
program is called, "The Lucky Few Reunion" event. Purposes of this event
are:
Honor the heroes of the US Navy veterans, who had served in one of 50 US
Navy ships under Operation Frequent Wind, saved two hundred thousands
(200,000) of Vietnamese-American refugees in 1975.
Reunite more Vietnamese-Americans with the US Navy Veterans who helped them
on their journey to the United State, 37 years ago, in 1975.
Untold stories and witnesses of the Lucky Few
This is also the history of courage and of the human spirit, of the survival
tenacity of the Vietnamese people, of exceptional display of human kindness,
which of profiles are remarkable humanitarian effort of the United States
Navy.
The Observance schedule will be at 1930, on Saturday, April 21, 2012..."
You Are Invited to USN and VN Refugees Reunion
Please join us in celebrating the National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The national theme for 2012, "Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion", the program is called, "The Lucky Few Reunion" event. Purposes of this event are:
Honor the heroes of the US Navy veterans, who had served in one of 50 US Navy ships under Operation Frequent Wind, saved two hundred thousands (200,000) of Vietnamese-American refugees in 1975.
Reunite more Vietnamese-Americans with the US Navy Veterans who helped them on their journey to the United State, 37 years ago, in 1975.
In attendance: VADM Adam M. Robinson, Jr. MC, USN Retired, the Navy Surgeon General; the former Captains and crew members of US Navy Seventh Fleet, Operation Frequent Wind, VIET NAM NAVY RESCUE 1975; Mr. Jan Herman, Navy Historian and Producer of "The Lucky Few" movie.
Untold stories and witnesses of the Lucky Few
This is also the history of courage and of the human spirit, of the survival tenacity of the Vietnamese people, of exceptional display of human kindness, which of profiles are remarkable humanitarian effort of the United States Navy.
The Observance schedule will be at 1500, on Saturday, April 21, 2012, at Crystal Cathedral, located at: 12141 Lewis St., Garden Grove, CA 92840.
We are looking forward to meet you, your family and friends joining us on April 21, 2012.
Best Regards,
Ms Sharon Nicholas
Chief Executive Officer
FEDERAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COUNCIL SOUTHWEST (FAPACSW)
951.273.4792(o)
949. 306.7287(m)
P.O. BOX 710843
San Diego, CA 92171
http://www.fapac-sw.org
sharon.nicholas@navy.mil
Honor the heroes of the US Navy veterans, who had served in one of 50 US Navy ships under Operation Frequent Wind, saved two hundred thousands (200,000) of Vietnamese-American refugees in 1975.
Reunite more Vietnamese-Americans with the US Navy Veterans who helped them on their journey to the United State, 37 years ago, in 1975.
In attendance: VADM Adam M. Robinson, Jr. MC, USN Retired, the Navy Surgeon General; the former Captains and crew members of US Navy Seventh Fleet, Operation Frequent Wind, VIET NAM NAVY RESCUE 1975; Mr. Jan Herman, Navy Historian and Producer of "The Lucky Few" movie.
Untold stories and witnesses of the Lucky Few
This is also the history of courage and of the human spirit, of the survival tenacity of the Vietnamese people, of exceptional display of human kindness, which of profiles are remarkable humanitarian effort of the United States Navy.
The Observance schedule will be at 1500, on Saturday, April 21, 2012, at Crystal Cathedral, located at: 12141 Lewis St., Garden Grove, CA 92840.
We are looking forward to meet you, your family and friends joining us on April 21, 2012.
Best Regards,
Ms Sharon Nicholas
Chief Executive Officer
FEDERAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COUNCIL SOUTHWEST (FAPACSW)
951.273.4792(o)
949. 306.7287(m)
P.O. BOX 710843
San Diego, CA 92171
http://www.fapac-sw.org
sharon.nicholas@navy.mil
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